Benjamin Kohlmann
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by Benjamin Kohlmann, who was picked to be: Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense. It is part of a collection of thousands of ethics documents ProPublica has been collecting from across the Trump administration.
Roles Outside Government
Officials are required to disclose paid or unpaid positions they hold or recently held outside the federal government, including roles as officer, director, trustee or employee. (Form 278e, Part 1)
| Organization | Position held | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New American Industrial Alliance | Head of Strategy, 1/2025 - Present | 1 | |
| Cubit Capital | Investor and COO, 5/2023 - 1/2025 | 2 | |
| New Purpose, Inc | CEO, 1/2023 - 5/2023 | 3 | |
| Farcast, Inc | CEO, 2/2022 - 4/2023 | 4 | |
| Texas Southern University | Regent, 8/2024 - Present | 5 | |
| Firepit Partnerships, LP | Organizer, 7/2023 - 7/2024 | 6 |
Employment Assets
Officials are required to disclose assets associated with their employment, including salary, retirement accounts, stocks, intellectual property and awards or prizes. (Form 278e, Part 2)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New American Industrial Alliance (Multi-sector trade association advocating for Reindustrializing the US) | $52,500 | Consulting Fees | 1 | ||
| Cubit Capital (Venture Capital Firm focused on early stage company investing) | $510K | Severance | 2 | ||
| Cubit Capital (Venture Capital Firm focused on early stage company investing) | $400K | Salary/Bonus | 3 | ||
| Roth IRA: | 4 | ||||
| ProShares UltraPro QQQ (TQQQ) | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 4.1 | ||
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.2 | ||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 4.3 | ||
| Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 4.4 | ||
| Stitch Fix, Inc. (SFIX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.5 | ||
| McKinsey and Company 401k: | 5 | ||||
| State Street U.S. Total Market Index Non- Lending Series Fund Class A | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 | ||
| Farcast, Inc 401k: | 6 | ||||
| Fidelity Total Market Index Fund (FSKAX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 6.1 | ||
| Cubit Capital 401k | 7 | ||||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Class Shares (VTSAX) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 7.1 | ||
| X Social Media Income | $1,296 | Monetization Payments | 8 | ||
| Firepit Partnerships, LP (Fortress Energy Partners IV One-time Management Fee) | $1,950 | One time management fee for aggregating investments | 9 | ||
| Firepit Partnerships, LP, carried interest (value not readily ascertainable): 2.5% profits for BirdDog Special Purpose Vehicle | None (or less than $201) | 10 | |||
| Firepit Partnerships, LP, carried interest (value not readily ascertainable): 2.5% profits for UpSmith Special Purpose Vehicle | None (or less than $201) | 11 | |||
| Firepit Partnerships, LP, carried interest (value not readily ascertainable): 1.0% profits for Fortress Energy Partners IV Special Purpose Vehicle | None (or less than $201) | Fortress Energy Partners IV invests in mineral rights in Martin, Midland, Glasscock, Reagan, Dawson and other Permian Basin, Texas counties. | 12 |
Employment Agreements
Officials are required to disclose agreements relating to other jobs, including what will happen with any small businesses they own during government service and any continued health care coverage, planned leaves of absence, severance or bonuses. (Form 278e, Part 3)
| Organization | Agreement | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey and Company | I will continue to participate in this defined contribution plan, but the plan sponsor no longer makes contributions. (2018-01-01) | 1 | |
| Farcast, Inc | I will continue to participate in this defined contribution plan, but the plan sponsor no longer makes contributions. (2022-02-01) | 2 | |
| Cubit Capital | I will continue to participate in this defined contribution plan, but the plan sponsor no longer makes contributions. (2023-05-01) | 3 | |
| New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA) | Month to month consulting contract with NAIA for $22,500 until a mutually agreed upon termination date. (2025-01-01) | 4 | |
| Firepit Partnerships, LP (BirdDog SPV) | Pursuant to my contract, I retain carried interest in Firepit Partnerships, LP, as compensation for services provided in 2023. The percentage was fixed in 2023. Payment will be made if and when the fund profits from its investment (2023-05-01) | 5 | |
| Firepit Partnerships, LP (UpSmith SPV) | Pursuant to my contract, I retain carried interest in Firepit Partnerships, LP, as compensation for services provided in 2023. The percentage was fixed in 2023. Payment will be made if and when the fund profits from its investment (2023-08-01) | 6 | |
| Firepit Partnerships, LP (Fortress Energy Partners IV SPV) | Pursuant to my contract, I retain carried interest in Firepit Partnerships, LP, as compensation for services provided in 2024. The percentage was fixed in 2024. Payment will be made if and when the fund profits from its investment (2024-03-01) | 7 |
Compensation
Officials are required to disclose the sources of any compensation above $5,000 in a year. (Form 278e, Part 4)
Spouse’s Assets
Officials are required to disclose their spouse’s assets, including salary and retirement accounts worth more than $1,000. (Form 278e, Part 5)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Top Realtor, LLC (Residential Real Estate Company) | $100K - $250K | Salary, LLC distribution | 1 | ||
| Dave Perry Miller Real Estate | commissions | 1.1 | |||
| Roth IRA | 2 | ||||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 2.1 | ||
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 2.2 | ||
| Self-Employed 401k | 3 | ||||
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 3.1 | ||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 3.2 |
Other Assets and Income
Officials are required to disclose other assets and sources of investment income belonging to them, their spouse or their dependent children. These include annuities, bonds, cash, college savings plans, farms, precious metals, real estate, stocks, trusts and wills. (Form 278e, Part 6)
| Description | Value | Income | Income Type | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank #1 (Cash) | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | Interest | 1 | |
| HSA #1: | 2 | ||||
| Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Plus Shares (VIIIX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 2.1 | ||
| US Savings Bonds | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 3 | ||
| Verdad Private Equity Fund | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 4 | ||
| Saturn Five Opportunity Zone Fund | 5 | ||||
| Noah's Ark (Whitewater Rafting Tour Company), Colorado | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 | ||
| Fading West (Modular Home Construction Company), Colorado | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 5.2 | ||
| Deerwoods (Real Estate Management Company), Colorado | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.3 | ||
| Carbonate Street Apartments (Residential Housing Complex), Buena Vista, Colorado | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.4 | ||
| Levels Health (Private, VC-backed Series A health care company making continuous glucose monitors) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 6 | ||
| Atticus Legal (Private, VC-backed Series A company using AI to provide legal services) | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 7 | ||
| Vannevar Labs (Private, VC-backed Series B company that builds defense tech hardware and software for the intelligence community) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 8 | ||
| 3M Co. (MMM) | $1,001 - $15,000 | $201 - $1,000 | Dividends | 9 | |
| UpSmith (Private, VC-backed Series Seed company building sales software for HVAC companies) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 10 | ||
| Harbinger (Private, VC-backed Series B company building electric delivery trucks) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 11 | ||
| BirdDog (Private, VC-backed Series Seed company building a hunting vacation rental platform) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 12 | ||
| CHAOS Industries (Private, VC-backed Series C company building hardware and software for defense and intelligence community customers) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 13 | ||
| Slingshot Aerospace (Private, Series A Company building software for Space Domain Awareness for government and civilian customers) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 14 | ||
| Galvanick (Private, VC-backed Series Seed company building cybersecurity detection software for industrial users) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 15 | ||
| HSA #2: U.S. Bank #1 (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 16 | ||
| CoinBase Wallet | 17 | ||||
| Bitcoin | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 17.1 | ||
| Ether | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 17.2 | ||
| Utah College Savings Plan (529) | 18 | ||||
| my529 Total Stock Market Index Fund | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 18.1 | ||
| Guardian Whole Life Insurance Policy #1 | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 19 | ||
| Guardian Whole Life Insurance Policy #2 | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 20 | ||
| Residential Real Estate Property #1, Dallas, TX | $500K - $1M | $15,001 - $50,000 | Rent or Royalties | 21 | |
| Residential Real Estate Property #2, Dallas, TX | $500K - $1M | $5,001 - $15,000 | Rent or Royalties | 22 | |
| Residential Real Estate Property #3, Dallas, TX | $500K - $1M | $5,001 - $15,000 | Rent or Royalties | 23 | |
| Residential Real Estate Property #4, Dallas, TX | $250K - $500K | $5,001 - $15,000 | Rent or Royalties | 24 | |
| BROKERAGE ACCOUNT | 25 | ||||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $250K - $500K | $5,001 - $15,000 | 25.1 | ||
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | $250K - $500K | $1,001 - $2,500 | 25.2 | ||
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKB) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 25.3 | ||
| Roth IRA, Dependent Accounts | 26 | ||||
| Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 26.1 | ||
| KASA (VC-backed, Series C Private Company for Corporate Home Sharing) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 27 | ||
| NALA (VC-backed, Series A Private Company building a cross-border payments solutions) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 28 | ||
| U.S. bank, Dependent Savings Accounts (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 29 |
Liabilities
Officials are required to disclose their liabilities totaling more than $10,000, as well as any linked to their spouse or dependent children. These include mortgages, credit card debt and student loans. The interest rates and loan repayment terms are also required. (Form 278e, Part 8)
| Creditor | Description | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHH Mortgage | type: Mortgage (investment/rent al property), amount: $250,001 - $500,000, year-incurred: 2020, rate: 4.25%, term: 30 years | 1 | |
| Chase bank | type: Mortgage (investment/rent al property), amount: $250,001 - $500,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 2.5%, term: 30 years | 2 | |
| PENNYMAC | type: Mortgage (investment/rent al property), amount: $100,001 - $250,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 3.25%, term: 30 years | 3 | |
| Carrington Mortgage Services | type: Mortgage on Personal Residence, amount: $1,000,001 - $5,000,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 2.5%, term: 30 years | 4 | |
| Lakeview Mortgage by Mr Cooper | type: Mortgage (investment/rent al property), amount: $250,001 - $500,000, year-incurred: 2022, rate: 4.5%, term: 30 years | 5 |
About the Data
Most political appointees and senior officials in the executive branch are required by law to file public financial disclosure reports. These are documents that detail their financial holdings, positions they hold outside government, their spouse’s holdings, their liabilities and their recent financial transactions (such as buying or selling stock) during a defined reporting period.
The most senior officials file their disclosures with an agency called the Office of Government Ethics, and others file them with a designated ethics official within their agency. The Ethics in Government Act allows members of the public and the press to request these documents.
We’re publishing this information to give the public an important glimpse into the financial ties of a powerful and often hidden cadre of presidential appointees within the federal bureaucracy.
The main document type included in the database is the OGE Form 278e, which appointees must file when they are nominated (for Senate-confirmed appointees) or when they enter government (all others), and then annually while in the position. Another common document included is the OGE Form 278-T, also known as a periodic transaction report, which all public filers must submit within 30 days of a transaction. We are also making other ethics documents available, such as ethics agreements, certificates of divestiture and other documents we have obtained under the Ethics in Government Act.
Join us on Wednesday, April 8 for a walkthrough of ProPublica's new database of financial disclosures from Trump appointees and any potential conflicts they reveal. Register here.
