As Ramona Elliott steps into her role as acting director of the Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog following her predecessor’s firing earlier this year, she inherits an agency with a smaller workforce and greater oversight demands.
But Elliott’s Aug. 29 appointment brings stability and a familiar face to the job, industry practitioners said. She has 31 years of federal service, mostly with the US Trustee, including as acting director from April 2022 to February 2023.
Her second time in the role begins as the agency faces shrinking resources, with staff potentially dropping to just over 600. Hundreds of workers already accepted the Trump administration’s retirement or resignation offer that takes effect in late September, and more could be cut under the president’s fiscal 2026 budget request.
The announcement comes nearly six months after the firing of ex-director Tara Twomey, who is appealing her termination.
This article was originally published by Bloomberg Law.
Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Angélica Serrano Román 