Darin Selnick

FEC: Selnick (Oceanside CA, self-employed consultant) made political donations including $1,000 to WinRed and $1,000 to Star Parker for Congress (Aug 23 2025), $250-500 to Republican Party of San Diego County (2021-2022), $500 to California Lincoln Clubs Fed PAC (Jul 2000), $436 to 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee (Jan 2005, GW Bush 2nd inauguration)

Selnick was a Trump VA agency landing team member (Trump 1 transition); engaged in behind-the-scenes conflict with VA Secretary David Shulkin before Shulkin's firing; Selnick described as one of 'the most significant veterans policy voices of the Trump administration'; ties to Project 2025 per LittleSis

Selnick suspended Apr 14 2025 placed on administrative leave; fired Apr 18 2025 with Caldwell and Carroll for alleged unauthorized disclosures (incl Elon Musk Pentagon visit and Panama military ops plans); the three released a joint statement saying they were not told what they were investigated for, calling termination 'unconscionable'

Selnick career arc: USAF veteran/Air Force Association member; Veterans Affairs Senior Advisor in Trump 1 White House Domestic Policy Council (Jan 2017-Mar 2018); Executive Director of CVA-led Fixing Veterans Healthcare Taskforce (with co-chairs Bill Frist and Jim Marshall); CVA Senior Advisor 2019-2024; named Senior Advisor to SecDef Hegseth Jan 2025; PTDO Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; named Deputy Chief of Staff to SecDef

Selnick career arc: USAF retired Captain -> VA career civil servant -> White House Domestic Policy Council veterans-affairs adviser (Trump T1) -> Sr Adviser to VA Sec (Trump T1) -> CVA Senior Adviser 2019-2024 -> Hegseth Deputy Chief of Staff (Trump T2, 2025) -> suspended Apr 16 2025 / fired in leak investigation.

Per InfluenceWatch and reporting: Selnick is a retired USAF Captain who 'formerly worked as executive director of CVA's Fixing Veterans Health Care Bipartisan Taskforce, senior advisor to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and veteran affairs advisor to the White House Domestic Policy Council. Selnick, a retired Air Force officer, worked as a senior adviser to the Concerned Veterans for America from 2019 to 2024.' American Oversight FOIA documents show Selnick communicating with Mar-a-Lago members in May 2017 and arranging a meeting between then-VA Sec Shulkin and Bill Frist. Selnick rejoined CVA as Senior Adviser May 2018 (per DeSmog) after his White House DPC role, indicating a CVA-government revolving door. In 2025 he became Hegseth's Deputy Chief of Staff at DoD; suspended April 16 2025 in the same leak-investigation cohort as Caldwell and Carroll. Selnick is the longest-tenured CVA-government revolver in the dossier: government -> CVA -> government -> CVA -> government.