Top Government Official Forced to Resign After Appearing to Fail Trump 'Loyalty' Test: Report

A high-ranking federal official overseeing over $1 trillion in government funds has resigned after being questioned about her "loyalty" to President Donald Trump, according to a report.

Erica Roach, the chief financial officer of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was reportedly asked during a meeting last week whether she was someone the administration could "trust" and if she was "loyal." A source told CNN that Roach responded, "I always do the right thing," and rather than accepting a demotion, she chose to step down.

Roach's departure follows a series of similar shake-ups across federal agencies under the Trump administration. David Lebryk, longtime civil servant and former acting Treasury Secretary, resigned last week after reportedly clashing with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials who pushed to access government payment systems.

"The only way to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money is to follow the payment flows and pause suspicious transactions for review. Obviously," Musk posted on X Monday.

DOGE has been leading aggressive restructuring efforts that have targeted career officials in key financial oversight roles.

The OPM CFO's offices manage the Earned Benefits Trust Funds, which support federal employee retirement programs, health insurance for millions, and life insurance coverage. The funds, often leveraged during debt ceiling crises, play a crucial role in stabilizing government finances.

In recent weeks, Musk's associates have exerted increasing influence over OPM, traditionally managed by career professionals.

Mass emails titled "Fork in the Road" have been sent to federal employees urging them to resign voluntarily in exchange for buy-out packages through September. On Thursday, a federal judge blocked the program until Monday before the Thursday night deadline to allow for more legal arguments. Over 60,000 employees had already accepted the offer.

Additionally, internal systems have been restricted for specific staff while political appointees move forward with plans to cut up to 70% of the agency's workforce, per CNN.

Protesters rallied outside the OPM this week and condemned what they called an attempted "coup" by Musk. The demonstrations follow reports that Musk's DOGE team locked senior officials out of key OPM systems.

Roach, who previously held positions at Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton before joining OPM in 2017, had steadily risen within the agency. She will be replaced by Melissa Ford, an associate CFO at the department since 2022.