Theodore Merkel
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by Theodore Merkel, who was picked to be: Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, White House in January, 2025. 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)
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paragon Health Institute | $153K | Nonemployee compensation | 1 | ||
| Manhattan Institute | $105K | Salary | 2 | ||
| The Public Interest Fellowship | $20,000 | Nonemployee compensation | 3 | ||
| Manhattan Institute, 401(k) plan: | 4 | ||||
| Fidelity 500 index | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.1 | ||
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.2 | ||
| Vanguard Small Cap | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.3 | ||
| Vanguard Total Bond Market | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.4 | ||
| IRA: | 5 | ||||
| Vanguard Diversified Equity Fund Investor Shares (VDEQX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 | ||
| Vanguard Energy Fund Investor Shares (VGENX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.2 | ||
| Vanguard Global Equity Fund Investor Shares (VHGEX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.3 | ||
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund Investor Class Shares (VTTSX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.4 | ||
| Vanguard US Growth Fund Investor Shares (VWUSX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.5 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Institute | I will continue to participate in this defined contribution plan, but the plan sponsor no longer makes contributions. (2023-02-01) | 1 |
Compensation
Officials are required to disclose the sources of any compensation above $5,000 in a year. (Form 278e, Part 4)
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Holdings plc. Common Stock (HSBC) | $1,001 - $15,000 | $201 - $1,000 | 1 | ||
| HSA: | None (or less than $201) | 2 | |||
| Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 2.1 | ||
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares (VSMAX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 2.2 | ||
| Vanguard Brokerage Account | 3 | ||||
| Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund ETF Shares (BND) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 3.1 | ||
| Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares (VOO) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 3.2 | ||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 3.3 | ||
| U.S. credit union (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4 | ||
| U.S. Bank (Cash) | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 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.
