Leif Olson
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by Leif Olson, who was picked to be: United States Attorney - Northern District of Iowa, Department of Justice. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Department of Justice | Chief Deputy Attorney General, 8/2023 - Present | 1 | |
| Office of the Attorney General of Texas | Division Chief, 5/2021 - 8/2023 | 2 | |
| The Olson Firm PLLC (inactive) | Managing Member, 4/2013 - Present | This PLLC has been inactive since I left private practice. | 3 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Department of Justice | $287K | Salary | 1 | ||
| Rollover IRA | 2 | ||||
| U.S. brokerage account (Cash) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 2.1 | ||
| Roth IRA | 3 | ||||
| Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 3.1 | ||
| Texa$aver 401(k) | 4 | ||||
| Nuveen Lifecycle 2040 Retirement (TCLOX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4.1 | ||
| Iowa Public Employees Retirement System, defined benefit plan | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Public Employees | I will continue to participate in this defined benefit plan. (2023-08-01) | 1 | |
| Office of Attorney General of Texas | I will continue to participate in this defined contribution plan. The plan sponsor will not make further contributions (2021-05-01) | 2 | |
| The Olson Firm PLLC | The Olson Firm PLLC is inactive and will remain inactive during my appointment. (2020-04-01) | 3 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Teacher Retirement System, defined benefit plan | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 1 | ||
| Clarke County, Iowa, County Attorney's Office | salary | 2 | |||
| Amergis Healthcare Contract provider of speech-language pathology services | salary | 3 | |||
| Iowa Public Employee Retirement System, defined benefit plan | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4 | ||
| Virginia Retirement System 401(k) | 5 | ||||
| BlackRock LifePath Index 2040 Fund Institutional Shares (LIKIX) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 |
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 (Cash) | $100K - $250K | $1,001 - $2,500 | Interest | 1 | |
| Residential real estate, Springfield, VA | None (or less than $1,001) | $50,001 - $100K | Capital Gains Rent or Royalties | 2 | |
| Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) | $100K - $250K | $5,001 - $15,000 | Dividends | UTMA accounts | 3 |
| Thrivent, universal life | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 4 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2019, rate: 4.05%, term: due 2036 | 1 | |
| Earnest | type: Student Loan, amount: $50,001 - $100,000, year-incurred: 2023, rate: 13.3%, term: 20 years | 2 | |
| LoanDepot LLC | type: Mortgage on Personal Residence, amount: $250,001 - $500,000, year-incurred: 2022, rate: 4.625%, term: 30 years | We sold this property in October 2024. | 3 |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2020, rate: 5.03%, term: due 2036 | 4 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2020, rate: 6.03%, term: due 2036 | 5 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 6.29%, term: due 2036 | 6 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 7.292%, term: due 2036 | 7 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $10,001 - $15,000, year-incurred: 2021, rate: 7.29%, term: due 2036 | 8 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $15,001 - $50,000, year-incurred: 2022, rate: 6.8%, term: due 2036 | 9 | |
| MOHELA | type: Student Loan, amount: $10,001 - $15,000, year-incurred: 2022, rate: 7.8%, term: due 2036 | 10 |
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.
