The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to provide fuel allowances for Ministers, Members of Parliament, and government officers based on the fuel prices as of March 1, 2026. 

All other fuel-related allowances will be maintained at the same rate until further notice, the Cabinet Spokesman announced.

He stated that the government has already taken several urgent measures to mitigate the economic impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the need to manage government expenditure within existing fiscal limits and approved government expenditure limits has been identified to ensure the continuity of essential public services, the Cabinet Spokesman told reporters in Colombo. 

Accordingly, taking into account the restrictions in fuel distribution and the declaration of Wednesdays as holidays for non-essential government services, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal submitted by the President, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to provide fuel allowances to Ministers, Members of Parliament, and public officials based on fuel prices as of March 1, 2026, until further notice.

It was also decided that all other fuel-related allowances will be maintained at the same rate until further notice.

An increase of over 10% in bus fares has been assessed following the increase in fuel prices and a proposal on the same will be submitted for Cabinet approval tomorrow (23), according to the National Transport Commission (NTC).

The NTC states that when the increase in diesel prices is adjusted for the bus fare increase formula, the current bus fares are expected to go up by more than 10 percent.

Issuing a statement, the Director General of the National Transport Commission, Dr. Nilan Miranda, stated that the approval of the Cabinet is scheduled to be obtained tomorrow (23) to implement the new bus fare increase accordingly.

The current bus fare is the one announced on July 4, 2025, and when it was calculated, the price of a liter of Auto Diesel was Rs. 289 in that month and accordingly, the bus fare was announced according to that price, the Director General stated.

However, with the increase in fuel prices that occurred yesterday, the price of a liter of diesel has increased from Rs. 303 to Rs. 382 per litre, which is an increase of Rs. 79, and the total increase in the price of Auto Diesel during this period is Rs. 93.

Accordingly, when adjusted to the bus fare formula, this has resulted in an increase in bus fares of more than 10 percent, and therefore the relevant proposal has been referred to the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow (23) to obtain approval to implement the new bus fare increase, he further stated.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the activation of emergency responsive components within investment projects financed by the World Bank Group, and to obtain a total of US$ 92–112 million to implement the proposed emergency responsive components.   

Cyclone ‘Ditwah’, which caused unexpected floods and landslides across the island, stands as one of the most severe natural disasters in recent years. The calamity resulted in extensive damage to agricultural lands, loss of life, displacement of communities, and destruction of livelihoods and essential public infrastructure.

In response, the government is prioritising national rebuilding efforts through an elaborate framework that spans emergency response to long-term mediation, the cabinet spokesman said.

Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said bilateral and multilateral development partners, lending institutions, non-profit agencies, and the international community have already initiated and pledged urgent assistance to support recovery.

Accordingly, it has been considered appropriate to activate emergency response components within ongoing foreign-funded infrastructure facilities to accelerate the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure facilities, he said. 

Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal submitted by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, to activate emergency responsive components within the investment projects financed by the World Bank Group and to obtain a total of US$ 92–112 million for implementing the proposed emergency responsive components projects.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to award the procurement for the supply of 380,000 (+/- 20%) metric tons of Liquid Petroleum (LP) Gas for the twelve-month period commencing in January 2026 to Geo Gas Trading S.A.

The decision has been taken based on recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board regarding the evaluated bids.

Technological and Financial Bids were called to supply L.P. gas for the Litro Gas Lanka Company for the year 2026 under the double cover procedure as per the provisions of the Procurement Guideline – 2024. 

Accordingly, five bidders submitted their bids, and two bids qualified for the financial bid evaluation after the technological evaluation. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, to award the procurement to Geo Gas Trading S.A. to supply 380,000 (+_ 20%) metric tons of Liquid Petroleum Gas for the twelve-month period starting from January 2026.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval in principle for the proposal to develop several multi-modal transport hubs on a priority basis. 

The initiative aims to improve the interconnection between various modes of public transport—including buses, trains, and taxi services—by integrating bus stands and railway stations identified as having high and growing passenger circulation, following formal feasibility studies.

As per the current national policy of the government to make public transport in Sri Lanka efficient and streamlined, the necessity of establishing multi-modal transport hubs with required facilities has been identified to enable efficient public transport services to be initiated from transit cities and main cities through the interconnection between transport modes.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved, in principle, the proposal presented by the Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to develop the following multi-modal transport hubs on a priority basis:

• Kandy Multimodal Transport Hub (Construction work has already been started under world bank financing) 

• Anuradhapura (South) Multimodal Transport Hub (Constructions are about to be completed under the Anuradhapura combined urban development project) 

• Anuradhapura (North) Multimodal Transport Hub (feasibility study has been performed and preliminary work completed) 

• Multimodal Transport Hub centered around the Fort Railway Station (as proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan, which has been prepared for urban transport in Colombo and suburbs) 

• Moratuwa Multimodal Transport Center (proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan) 

• Ragama Multimodal Transport Center (identified through a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency) 

• Avissawella, Galle, Katunayake, Kurunegala Multimodal Transport Centers (identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority) 

• Gampaha Multimodal Transport Center ((identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority and railway electrification of the Colombo Suburban Railway Project) 

• Katunayake Multimodal Transport Hub (identified under the Airport Development Plan) 

• Kalutara Multimodal Transport Center (identified as a proposal of the District Coordination Committee) 

• Kankesanthurai Multimodal Transport Center (identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority) 

Albania’s leader said Friday his new cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” that will be in charge of running public funding projects and fighting corruption in public tenders.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said Diella, whose name means “Sun” in Albanian, is a “member of the Cabinet who is not present physically but has been created virtually from artificial intelligence.”

Rama said Diella would help ensure that “public tenders will be 100% free of corruption.”

Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania public service platform, where she helps users navigate the site while wearing traditional Albanian folk costume.

Rama’s Socialist Party secured a fourth consecutive term after winning 83 of the 140 Assembly seats in the May 11 parliamentary elections. The party can govern alone and pass most legislation, but it needs a two-thirds majority, or 93 seats, to change the Constitution.

The Socialists have said it can deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, with negotiations concluding by 2027. The pledge has been met with skepticism by the Democrats, who contend Albania is far from prepared.

The conservative Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by former prime minister and President Sali Berisha, won 50 seats. The party has not accepted the official election results, claiming irregularities, but its members participated in the new parliament’s inaugural session. The remaining seats went to four smaller parties.

Legal experts say more work may be needed to establish Diella’s official status.

Corruption has remained a top issue in the Western Balkan country since the fall of the communist regime in 1990.

Parliament began the process to swear in new lawmakers Friday. Later in the day, lawmakers are expected to elect a new speaker and deputies and formally present Rama’s new cabinet.

Source: AP

–Agencies 

Israel’s cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday, a day ahead of the agreement’s scheduled start.

In the early hours of Saturday after meeting for more than six hours, the government ratified the agreement that could pave the way for an end to the 15-month-old war in the Palestinian enclave, which Hamas controls.

“The Government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the hostages’ release will come into effect on Sunday,” Netanyahu’s office said in a brief statement.

In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes have kept up heavy attacks since the ceasefire deal was agreed. Medics in Gaza said an Israeli airstrike early on Saturday killed five people in a tent in the Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in the enclave’s south.

This brought to 119 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli bombardment since the accord was announced on Wednesday.

After the Israeli cabinet approval, lead U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk said the plan was moving forward on track. The White House expects the ceasefire to start on Sunday morning, with three female hostages to be released to Israel on Sunday afternoon through the Red Cross.

“We have locked down every single detail in this agreement. We are quite confident… it is ready to be implemented on Sunday,” McGurk said on CNN from the White House.

Under the deal, the three-stage ceasefire starts with an initial six-week phase when hostages held by Hamas will be exchanged for prisoners detained by Israel.

Thirty-three of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men over 50, were due to be freed in this phase. Israel will release all Palestinian women and children under 19 in Israeli jails by the end of the first phase.

The names of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be turned over on Sunday were announced by the Israeli Justice Ministry on Friday.

After Sunday’s hostage release, McGurk said the accord called for four more female hostages to be released after seven days followed by the release of three further hostages every seven days thereafter.

HARDLINERS OPPOSE CEASEFIRE

With the accord bitterly opposed by some Israeli cabinet hardliners, media reports said 24 ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition government voted in favour of the deal while eight opposed it.

The opponents said the ceasefire agreement represented a capitulation to Hamas. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to resign if it was approved and urged other ministers to vote against it. However, he said he would not bring down the government.

His fellow hardliner, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also threatened to quit the government if it does not go back to war to defeat Hamas after the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.

After a last-minute delay on Thursday that Israel blamed on Hamas, the Israeli security cabinet voted on Friday in favour of the ceasefire accord, the first of two approvals required.

Israel began its assault on Gaza after Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 during which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The war between Israeli forces and Hamas has razed much of heavily urbanised Gaza, killed more than 46,000 people and displaced most of the enclave’s pre-war population of 2.3 million several times over, according to local authorities.

If successful, the ceasefire could also ease hostilities in the Middle East, where the Gaza war spread to include Iran and its proxies – Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq as well as the occupied West Bank.

Gaza civilians have faced a humanitarian crisis due to hunger, cold and sickness. The ceasefire agreement calls for a surge in assistance, and international organisations have aid trucks lined up on Gaza’s borders to bring in food, fuel, medicine and other vital supplies.

Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday that it has 4,000 truckloads of aid, half of which are food, ready to enter the coastal strip.

Palestinians waiting for food in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday said they hoped a truce will mean an end to hours of queuing to fill one plate.

“I hope it will happen so we’ll be able to cook in our homes and make whatever food we want, without having to go to soup kitchens and exhaust ourselves for three or four hours trying to get (food) – sometimes not even making it home,” displaced Palestinian Reeham Sheikh al-Eid said.

 

Source: Reuters

–Agencies

A number of patterns have emerged among the people President-elect Donald J. Trump has indicated he wants to fill his cabinet and other senior-level positions in his administration.

Some points of commonality are historically typical among senior White House and cabinet officials — Harvard, Yale and Princeton are well represented among his selections’ alma maters, for instance. Other uniting factors are unprecedented: Many on the list have denied or questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election, often a prerequisite for gaining Mr. Trump’s favor. And some lack the traditional qualifications shared by their predecessors.

Indeed, it appears that the most important qualifier in Mr. Trump’s mind has been fealty to him, which many of his picks have demonstrated in various ways over the past few years.

See some of the links between more than 60 potential members (in some cases pending confirmation) of the incoming administration, below.

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At least 5 are billionaires.

Mr. Trump has picked two billionaires to lead key economic departments, raising questions about whether his administration will follow through on promises to boost the working class.

Scott Bessent, his choice for treasury secretary, is a hedge fund manager who invested money for George Soros, a liberal philanthropist, for more than a decade. Howard Lutnick, his pick for commerce secretary, is a Wall Street executive. Both Mr. Bessent and Mr. Lutnick have been vocal in their support for Mr. Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imports, although they may prefer a more targeted approach.

Billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead what Mr. Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency. Mr. Trump has said the new initiative would operate outside of the government and offer input to federal officials.

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At least 8 have been major Trump donors.

The president-elect has also selected major campaign donors for key positions, including four to lead cabinet agencies: Mr. Lutnick and Mr. Bessent, as well as Chris Wright to lead the Energy Department and Linda McMahon to lead the Education Department. (Ms. McMahon and Mr. Lutnick are also co-chairs of the Trump transition.) As of the last federal filing, their contributions to support Mr. Trump during the 2024 election cycle ranged from $350,000 to $20 million.

John Phelan, Mr. Trump’s pick for Navy secretary, and his wife, Amy, donated more than $1 million to Mr. Trump’s joint fund-raising campaign committee.

Steven Witkoff, a billionaire real estate mogul who has given nearly $2 million to Mr. Trump’s political causes over the past decade, was named special envoy to the Middle East. He was on the golf course with Mr. Trump in September during a second assassination attempt.

Mr. Musk poured at least $75 million into a new pro-Trump super PAC and promised on Oct. 19 to award one voter $1 million every day through Election Day. The Justice Department warned Mr. Musk that the giveaway might be illegal, but a judge in Philadelphia refused to halt the sweepstakes.

Charles Kushner, Mr. Trump’s pick for ambassador to France, is a real estate executive who gave at least $2 million to support Mr. Trump.

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At least 12 hosted or co-hosted events at Mar-a-Lago.

After Mr. Trump left the White House, Mar-a-Lago became the headquarters of the MAGA movement. Events hosted by right-wing organizations and politicians there largely replaced traditional Palm Beach society galas on the resort’s calendar, as a visit became an essential rite for many Republican candidates.

Many of Mr. Trump’s recent picks were regular fixtures at Mar-a-Lago during this time. Some did more than visit, choosing to host expensive receptions on the property. As Mar-a-Lago’s owner, Mr. Trump is the beneficiary of its profits.

Several of the proposed officials have held campaign fund-raisers or served on the host committee to support another candidate’s event. Others hosted or co-hosted larger events for organizations they lead or champion.

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At least 13 made appearances at Trump’s criminal trial in New York.

Mr. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan was a staging ground for allies to prove their loyalty. Several of his recent picks traveled to New York in the spring to show support. Some were there in a professional context. Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s choice for deputy attorney general, was one of his trial lawyers, and Susie Wiles, Mr. Trump’s incoming chief of staff, was co-chair of his 2024 presidential campaign.

Others, like Vice President-elect JD Vance and Doug Burgum, Mr. Trump’s pick for interior secretary, attended the trial as spectators and attacked members of the presiding judge’s family on behalf of Mr. Trump, who was under a rule of silence. Both were considered potential running mates at the time.

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At least 17 are associated with the America First Policy Institute or Project 2025.

Mr. Trump spent much of the campaign distancing himself from Project 2025, a sprawling initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation that included a “blueprint” document for a new conservative administration that was authored in part by former Trump staffers. But since winning the election, Mr. Trump has picked at least seven people with ties to the controversial conservative policy initiative to serve in his administration.

Project 2025 also includes a database of Heritage-vetted personnel intended to help a Republican president build rank-and-file staff. It remains to be seen to what extent those candidates will be hired in the new administration.

The America First Policy Institute, which like the Heritage Foundation is a pro-Trump think tank, is also heavily represented in his picks so far. At least 11 of the people among his picks have ties to the upstart policy group. Much like Project 2025, the think tank has prepared staffing plans and a policy agenda, and it reportedly has drafted nearly 300 executive orders ready for Mr. Trump’s signature.

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At least 11 are or have been Fox hosts or contributors.

Some of Mr. Trump’s appointees are closely linked to Fox as either hosts, former hosts or contributors. Pete Hegseth was a host on “Fox & Friends” until he became Mr. Trump’s pick for defense secretary. Mr. Hegseth’s co-host was Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is married to Sean Duffy, Mr. Trump’s cabinet pick for transportation secretary. Mr. Duffy also co-hosted a show on Fox Business.

Mr. Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, hosted a show on Fox for seven years. More recently, Mr. Ramaswamy was tapped to host a five-part series on Fox Nation.

Many more figures in Mr. Trump’s orbit are frequent guests on Fox News, and several not counted here have contributed digital columns to the Fox News website. Mr. Wright caught Mr. Trump’s attention in part through his appearances on Fox News.

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At least 9 are or have been registered lobbyists.

The revolving door between lobbying and government is a tradition in Washington — and one of the practices Mr. Trump pledged to eliminate when he said he would “drain the swamp.” But some of the people Mr. Trump has tapped for his administration have deep ties to that very swamp.

Ms. Wiles was registered as a lobbyist until early this year. Pam Bondi, Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, joined a lobbying firm run by a prominent Florida fund-raiser after she finished her second term as Florida attorney general. Mr. Duffy lobbied for a coalition of airlines in 2020.

Some of Mr. Trump’s selections not shown here have acted as lobbyists without officially registering — another longstanding custom in the nation’s capital. Russell T. Vought, Mr. Trump’s choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget, noted in paperwork for his 2017 Senate confirmation hearing that he had “engaged in grassroots lobbying.”

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At least 28 served in or advised the previous Trump administration.

More than two dozen of Mr. Trump’s cabinet and other senior-level picks also served in some capacity in his first administration.

Some have been chosen for roles related to their previous jobs. Thomas Homan was the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Mr. Trump’s first term and has been named the border czar, a position that does not require Senate confirmation, for the coming term.

Others have been tapped for roles less related to their previous positions. Ms. McMahon was the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019, and she is now Mr. Trump’s choice for education secretary.

Several on this list did not have official, full-time jobs during Mr. Trump’s last term, but they were chosen by him to sit on advisory boards. Those people include Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Musk.

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Explore the members of Mr. Trump’s proposed senior staff below.

Scott Bessent	Potential role Treasury secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare Yes	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Jay Bhattacharya	Potential role National Institutes of Health director	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
James Blair	Potential role White House deputy chief of staff	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Todd Blanche	Potential role Deputy attorney general	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Pam Bondi	Potential role Attorney general	Role in first term Member of board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Massad Boulos	Potential role Senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
James Braid	Potential role White House legislative affairs director	Role in first term Deputy to the associate director for legislative affairs	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Taylor Budowich	Potential role White House deputy chief of staff	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Doug Burgum	Potential role Interior secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Brendan Carr	Potential role F.C.C. chairman	Role in first term F.C.C. commissioner	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Lori Chavez-DeRemer	Potential role Labor secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Steven Cheung	Potential role White House communications director	Role in first term White House director of strategic response	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Doug Collins	Potential role Veterans affairs secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Sean Duffy	Potential role Transportation secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist Yes
Tulsi Gabbard	Potential role Director of national intelligence	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Sergio Gor	Potential role White House director of personnel	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Sebastian Gorka	Potential role Deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism	Role in first term Deputy assistant to the president and strategist	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Jamieson Greer	Potential role U.S. trade representative	Role in first term Chief of staff to trade representative	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Vince Haley	Potential role Director of the Domestic Policy Council	Role in first term Deputy assistant to the president	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Kevin Hassett	Potential role Director of White House National Economic Council	Role in first term Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Pete Hegseth	Potential role Defense secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Pete Hoekstra	Potential role Ambassador to Canada	Role in first term Ambassador to the Netherlands	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Thomas Homan	Potential role Border czar	Role in first term Acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Mike Huckabee	Potential role Ambassador to Israel	Role in first term Member of board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Keith Kellogg	Potential role Special envoy to Ukraine and Russia	Role in first term National security adviser to the vice president	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.	Potential role Health and human services secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Charles Kushner	Potential role Ambassador to France	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Alex Latcham	Potential role White House public liaison director	Role in first term Special assistant to the president	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Karoline Leavitt	Potential role White House press secretary	Role in first term Assistant White House press secretary	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Howard Lutnick	Potential role Commerce secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare Yes	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Martin A. Makary	Potential role F.D.A. commissioner	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Bill McGinley	Potential role White House counsel	Role in first term White House cabinet secretary	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Linda McMahon	Potential role Education secretary	Role in first term Small business administrator	Billionare —	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Stephen Miller	Potential role White House deputy chief of staff	Role in first term Senior adviser	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Elon Musk	Potential role Co-lead, government efficiency	Role in first term Member of Great American Economic Revival industry group	Billionare Yes	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Janette Nesheiwat	Potential role U.S. surgeon general	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Kristi Noem	Potential role Homeland security secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Jim O’Neill	Potential role Deputy secretary of health and human services	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Mehmet Oz	Potential role Medicare and Medicaid administrator	Role in first term Member of president’s council on sports, fitness and nutrition	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Kash Patel	Potential role F.B.I. director	Role in first term Chief of staff to acting defense secretary	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
John Phelan	Potential role Navy secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Matt Brasseaux	Potential role White House political affairs director	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Vivek Ramaswamy	Potential role Co-lead, government efficiency	Role in first term —	Billionare Yes	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
John Ratcliffe	Potential role C.I.A. director	Role in first term Director of national intelligence	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Brooke Rollins	Potential role Agriculture secretary	Role in first term Acting domestic policy adviser	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Marco Rubio	Potential role Secretary of state	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
D. John Sauer	Potential role U.S. solicitor general	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Dan Scavino	Potential role White House deputy chief of staff	Role in first term White House deputy chief of staff	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Will Scharf	Potential role White House staff secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Elise Stefanik	Potential role U.N. ambassador	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Scott Turner	Potential role Housing and urban development secretary	Role in first term Executive director of White House opportunity and revitalization council	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
JD Vance	Potential role Vice president	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Russell T. Vought	Potential role Office of Management and Budget director	Role in first term Office of Management and Budget director	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Michael Waltz	Potential role National security adviser	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox Yes	Lobbyist —
Dave Weldon	Potential role C.D.C. director	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Matthew Whitaker	Potential role NATO ambassador	Role in first term Acting attorney general	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Susie Wiles	Potential role White House chief of staff	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial Yes	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Steven Witkoff	Potential role Middle East envoy	Role in first term Member of Great American Economic Revival industry group	Billionare Yes	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Alex Wong	Potential role Assistant to the president and principal deputy national security adviser	Role in first term Deputy special representative for North Korea	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist Yes
Chris Wright	Potential role Energy secretary	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor Yes	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) —	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI —	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —
Lee Zeldin	Potential role E.P.A. administrator	Role in first term —	Billionare —	Major donor —	Hosted M.A.L. event(s) Yes	Attended N.Y. trial —	Ties to Proj. 2025 or AFPI Yes	Ties to Fox —	Lobbyist —

Methodology

This list reflects 61 cabinet and senior-level position picks that Mr. Trump had announced as of noon Eastern on Dec. 2.

To determine ties to Project 2025, The Times checked Mr. Trump’s proposed staff members against the authors, editors and contributors to the Project 2025 playbook, as well as the instructor lists in Project 2025’s training programs. Ties to the America First Policy Institute were determined by whether an individual had a listed role on the conservative group’s website or has served as a fellow for the group.

To determine ties to Fox News, The Times searched for each staff pick on Fox’s website, which lists individuals’ affiliations with Fox News. In instances where a biographical page was not available for a nominee, The Times attempted a further search on the Internet Archive and consulted news articles that described other relationships between the potential nominees and appointees and Fox News. In many cases, nominees had a presence on the Fox News website in the form of submitted opinion articles, but were not described as Fox contributors, so The Times did not classify them as being tied to Fox directly.

Accounts by Times reporters and photographers who covered Mr. Trump’s trial in New York were used to determine whether one of Mr. Trump’s picks attended the trial.

Those labeled billionaires have been referred to as such in other Times coverage.

Major donors include people who gave at least $250,000 to support Mr. Trump during the 2024 election cycle.

The Times used congressional lobbying disclosure databases to determine whether an individual is or has ever been a registered lobbyist.

To determine whether one of Mr. Trump’s picks hosted or co-hosted an event at Mar-a-Lago, The Times used permits from the town of Palm Beach; federal, state and county campaign finance records; tax records; social media posts; and promotional materials from organizations that held events.

The Times used the official White House archive from the first Trump administration to determine whether people selected for the second administration also served in the first. Some held multiple positions during the course of the administration. In most cases, the chart reflects the last position they held.

Trump himself has long been accused of abusing or mistreating women and once was caught bragging about grabbing women by the genitals. He was found liable by a New York City jury for sexual abuse and defamation and eventually ordered to pay the woman, E. Jean Carroll, $83 million in damages.

Taken together, there are a striking number of incidents in which potential high-ranking government officials in Trump’s second administration face allegations of sexual abuse. Trump and all of his picks for government have denied the claims against them, with some of the people accused arguing the cases are driven by politics.

With six members of the 15-plus member leadership team facing allegations, approximately one-third of the top White House staff have a history of misconduct claims.

Here’s a look at what’s known about the cases:

President-elect Donald Trump

Jurors in New York last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, an advice columnist, in 1996.

The verdict was split: Jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, finding Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. Jurors also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations. Trump did not attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.

Carroll was one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment. She went public in a 2019 memoir with her allegation that the Republican raped her in the dressing room of a posh Manhattan department store.

Trump denied it, saying he never encountered Carroll at the store and did not know her. He has called her a “nut job” who invented “a fraudulent and false story” to sell a memoir. He has similarly denied claims by other women.

Pete Hegseth, nominee for secretary of defense

A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public this week.

Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said.

News of the allegations surfaced last week when local officials released a brief statement confirming that a woman had accused Hegseth of sexual assault in October 2017 after he had spoken at a Republican women’s event in Monterey.

Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement that the police report confirms “what I have said all along that the incident was fully investigated and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed.”

Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement a few years after the police investigation because Hegseth was concerned that she was prepared to file a lawsuit that he feared could have resulted in him being fired from Fox News, where he was a popular host. Parlatore would not reveal the amount of the payment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human services

A woman who babysat for Kennedy and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that he groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation, telling a podcast: “I had a very, very rambunctious youth.” He texted the woman an apology after the story was published.

According to an interview the woman gave this week with USA Today, she said she was babysitting for his children at Kennedy’s home in Mount Kisco, New York. She said that the assault happened soon after she began working there. During a kitchen table meeting with Kennedy and another person, she said she felt him rubbing her leg under the table.

She told the newspaper that another time, Kennedy, then 46, asked her to rub lotion on him when he was shirtless and she obliged because she wanted to get it over with. And he grabbed her in a kitchen pantry and groped her, blocking her exit. She stayed on the job for a few more months before leaving.

Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of education

A lawsuit filed last month alleges that McMahon knowingly enabled sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment employee as early as the 1980s. She denies the allegations.

The suit was filed in October in Maryland, where a recent law change eliminated the state’s statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims, opening the doors for victims to sue regardless of their age or how much time has passed.

The complaint alleges that Melvin Phillips, who died in 2012, would target young men from disadvantaged backgrounds and hire them as “ring boys” to help with the preparations for wrestling matches. Phillips would then assault them in his dressing room, hotels and even in the wrestlers’ locker room, according to the complaint, which was filed on behalf of five men.

The abuse detailed in the lawsuit occurred over several years during Phillips’ long tenure with the organization spanning from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Because of his death, Phillips is not among the named defendants.

Instead, the complaint targets WWE founders Linda McMahon and her husband Vince, who grew the organization into the powerhouse it is today. The couple was well aware of Phillips’ brazen misconduct but did little to stop him, according to the complaint.

“This civil lawsuit based upon thirty-plus year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” said Laura Brevetti, Linda McMahon’s lawyer, in a statement. “The matter at the time was investigated by company attorneys and the FBI, which found no grounds to continue the investigation. Ms. McMahon will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit and without doubt ultimately succeed.”

Brevetti confirmed Linda and Vince McMahon are separated.

Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency

Tesla and SpaceXCEO Elon Musk was accused of sexual misconduct by a flight attendant contracted by SpaceX who worked on his private jet in 2016. He denied the claim.

A 2022 report by Business Insider said SpaceX paid the woman $250,000 in severance in 2018 in exchange for her agreeing not to file a lawsuit over her claim.

The Business Insider report was based on an account by the flight attendant’s friend, who said the flight attendant told her about the incident shortly after it happened. The report also said the flight attendant was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits her from discussing the payment or anything else about Musk and SpaceX.

SpaceX didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Musk responded to the allegations on Twitter, which he was in the process of buying at the time they surfaced.

“And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue,” he wrote in response to one user who tweeted in support of him.

He replied to another: “In my 30 year career, including the entire MeToo era, there’s nothing to report, but, as soon as I say I intend to restore free speech to Twitter & vote Republican, suddenly there is …”

Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s choice for attorney general

The former Florida congressman was embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he had been tapped to lead. He also was under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct — until he resigned from Congress this week. He then withdrew his name for consideration.

Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.

Federal investigators scrutinized a trip that Gaetz took to the Bahamas with a group of women and a doctor who donated to his campaign, and whether the women were paid or received gifts to have sex with the men, according to people familiar with the matter who were not allowed to publicly discuss the investigation.

Two women House investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex and one of the women testified she saw him having sex with a 17-year-old, according to an attorney for the women.

The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021, deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request, and renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation.

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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.