Peter Simshauser
The data on this page comes from a financial disclosure filed by Peter Simshauser, who was picked to be: Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motional AD Inc. | Chief Legal Officer, 3/2020 - 8/2024 | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motional AD Inc., restricted stock units | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 1 | ||
| Motional AD Inc. (Development of self-driving cars) | $924K | Salary/Bonus | 2 | ||
| Motional AD Inc. (Development of self-driving cars), anticipated severance | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 3 | ||
| Motional AD Inc. (Development of self-driving cars) | $192K | Severance | Twice-monthly severance payments ($17,875 each) through February 2025 (so two more of those). | 4 | |
| IRA (Fidelity) | 5 | ||||
| B of A CD | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.1 | ||
| cash | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 5.2 | ||
| Discover CD | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.3 | ||
| Morgan St CD 1 | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.4 | ||
| Morgan St CD 2 | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.5 | ||
| Wells Fargo CD | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.6 | ||
| DJIA Index | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 5.7 | ||
| FGRIX (Fidelity Growth & Income) | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 5.8 | ||
| Fidelity NASDAQ Index | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 5.9 | ||
| Fidelity mid cap index | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 5.10 | ||
| Fidelity 500 index | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 5.11 | ||
| Fidelity prem m-mkt | $500K - $1M | None (or less than $201) | 5.12 | ||
| Motional AD Inc. (401k) | 6 | ||||
| Invesco Stable Value Trust Class B1 | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 6.1 | ||
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, I contributed to this defined contribution plan, established by the Skadden law firm, when a partner at the firm. I left the firm on 12/31/2019. | I do not plan to withdraw from this plan. It may begin making distributions after I turn 70. | 7 | |||
| PIMCO investment grade credit bond | $500K - $1M | None (or less than $201) | 7.1 | ||
| Vanguard instit ttl bd mkt index | $1M - $5M | None (or less than $201) | 7.2 | ||
| Vanguard fed money mkt | $250K - $500K | None (or less than $201) | 7.3 | ||
| Retirement payment from law firm | $2.9M | Retirement payments from law firm | 8 | ||
| Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP Investment Partnerships | 9 | ||||
| SK 98 - Series B | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 9.1 | ||
| Project Capital 2006 | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 9.2 | ||
| Project Capital 2008 | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 9.3 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motional AD Inc. | I no longer participate in this Motional AD Inc. defined contribution plan. (2020-03-01) | 1 | |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | I continue to participate in this defined contribution plan. The plan sponsor ceased making contributions at my separation. (2004-01-01) | 2 | |
| Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | Upon retiring on 12/31/2019, I became entitled to monthly retirement payments for 2020-2026. (2020-01-01) | 3 | |
| Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP | As a retired partner, I am entitled to health insurance coverage for life, subject to certain qualifications (e.g., participation in Medicare) (2020-01-01) | 4 |
Compensation
Officials are required to disclose the sources of any compensation above $5,000 in a year. (Form 278e, Part 4)
| Organization | Description | Endnote | Line No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motional AD Inc. | Services as Chief Legal Officer | 1 |
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)
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund Investor Shares (VMFXX) | $1M - $5M | $100K - $1M | 1 | ||
| Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VGT) | $50,001 - $100K | $1,001 - $2,500 | 2 | ||
| Vanguard Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Funds Investor Shares (VMATX) | $1M - $5M | $50,001 - $100K | 3 | ||
| Vanguard Municipal Money Market Fund Investor Shares (VMSXX) | $50,001 - $100K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 4 | ||
| VanguardTax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares (VTMFX) | $250K - $500K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 5 | ||
| Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Fund Investor Class Shares (VTTVX) | $250K - $500K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 6 | ||
| Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Class Shares (VTI) | $100K - $250K | $2,501 - $5,000 | 7 | ||
| Fidelity Massachusetts Municipal Income Fund (FDMMX) | $500K - $1M | $15,001 - $50,000 | 8 | ||
| Fidelity Money Market Portfolio Class I Shares (FMPXX) | $1M - $5M | $100K - $1M | 9 | ||
| Fidelity Quality Factor ETF (FQAL) | $15,001 - $50,000 | $201 - $1,000 | 10 | ||
| Oatly Group AB American Depositary Shares (OTLY) | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 11 | ||
| T Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund, Inc Class I Shares (RPTIX) | $100K - $250K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 12 | ||
| T Rowe Price Tax-Exempt Money Fund, Inc Class I Shares (TERXX) | $250K - $500K | $5,001 - $15,000 | 13 | ||
| Certificate of deposit (Chas. Schwab) | $100K - $250K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 14 | ||
| Certificate of deposit (Wells Fargo) | $100K - $250K | $15,001 - $50,000 | 15 | ||
| Child 1 - NV Parent M 529 Plan Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 16 | ||
| Child 3 - NV Parent M 529 Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Portfolio | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 17 | ||
| Child 4 - NV Parent M 529 Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 18 | ||
| Child 1 - NV Parent F 529 Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 19 | ||
| Child 2 - NV Parent F 529 Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 20 | ||
| Child 3 - NV Parent F 529 Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 21 | ||
| Child 4 - NV Parent F 529 Vanguard Interest Accumulation Portfolio | $100K - $250K | None (or less than $201) | 22 | ||
| Gold Sachs CD Matured 5/24 | None (or less than $1,001) | $5,001 - $15,000 | Interest | 23 | |
| Wells Fargo CD matured 11/24 | None (or less than $1,001) | $15,001 - $50,000 | Interest | 24 | |
| Treasury Bills | $1M - $5M | $100K - $1M | Interest | 25 | |
| Columbia Capital Allocation Moderate Aggressive Portfolio Institutional Cl Shs (NBGPX) | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 26 | ||
| US bank #1 cash | $1,001 - $15,000 | None (or less than $201) | 27 | ||
| US bank #2 cash | $15,001 - $50,000 | None (or less than $201) | 28 | ||
| US bank #3 cash | $50,001 - $100K | None (or less than $201) | 29 |
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.
