How Did a Trump Loyalist Come to Be Named NSA General ... › NSA official Michael Ellis, installed as Trump left office, resigns after ... › Michael Ellis, Trump Appointee at N.S.A., White House. Defense Secretary Christopher Miller ordered the move Saturday, The Washington Post reported. Before that, Ellis served as lead council to California Republican Representative Devin Nunes, a major Trump ally in Congress. Michael Ellis is a highly experienced, superbly qualified intelligence professional. Advertisement Trump loyalist starts job as NSA’s general counsel. President-elect Joe Biden’s team may have difficulty removing Michael Ellis from the civil service post. The acting defense secretary ordered the spy agency to appoint Michael Ellis, who has been accused of having a hand in one of the Trump administration’s most contentious legal decisions. The position also requires strong relationships externally, and there is reason to question whether Ellis would be capable of establishing the necessary credibility with peers across the federal government. National Security Agency general counsel Michael Ellis, appointed to the position by former President Donald Trump on his last day in office, resigned from his post on Friday after being placed on administrative leave by the Biden administration on inauguration day, according to The Washington Post. The NSA told several news outlets on Jan. 17 that it is moving forward with Ellis’s placement, while the Pentagon noted in a statement that not proceeding with a merit-based appointment was unjustified. Last year, Ellis, a family friend, was selected to be the general counsel at the National Security Agency (NSA). Ellis, who was a lawyer for the NSC, had been named to the position in November, but the NSA had yet to move him into the role. The National Security Agency is placing former GOP operative Michael Ellis as the NSA's top lawyer in the final days of the Trump administration. Trump Appointee, NSA General Counsel Michael Ellis Resigns National Security Agency general counsel Michael Ellis, appointed to the position by former President Trump at the last minute, resigned from his post on Friday after being placed on administrative leave the day after Trump left office, according to The Washington Post. Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency’s top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office.The NSA director, Gen. Paul Nakasone, had placed Ellis on administrative leave the day President Donald Trump left the White House — just as Ellis was taking up the position. On Saturday, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller ordered NSA Director Paul Nakasone to install Ellis as general counsel by 6 p.m., but Nakasone—who opposed Ellis for … Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency’s top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office. Cybersecurity. Michael Ellis as NSA General Counsel. Trump's NSA general counsel Michael Ellis resigns, never having taken office Michael Ellis, a former Republican operative tapped as general counsel at the National Security Agency in the final months of the Trump administration, resigned Friday after spending three months on … According to CNN, the post of general counsel to the NSA is a civil service job, and not a political appointment, which among other things means it … May have difficulty removing Michael Ellis from the civil service post Representative Devin Nunes, a Trump at. 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