Russell Thurlow Vought is a prominent conservative political figure and policy architect born on March 26, 1976.[1] He graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois with a BA in 1998 and earned his JD from George Washington University Law School in 2004.[1] Vought spent over two decades working in Washington D.C. on policy and governance issues. He held several Capitol Hill positions, including serving as Policy Director for the House Republican Conference under then-Chairman Mike Pence, and as Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee.[1][4] He also worked as Vice President of Heritage Action for America for seven years before joining the Trump Administration.[4] During Trump's first term, Vought rose through the ranks at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Senate confirmed him as Deputy Director in February 2018 by a single vote.[2] He became Acting Director in early 2019 after his predecessor was named Trump's acting chief of staff, and was confirmed as OMB Director in July 2020.[1][2] In this role, he oversaw implementation of the President's policy, management, and regulatory agendas across the Executive Branch.[4] Vought's tenure was marked by controversy. Under his direction, OMB withheld military aid to Ukraine as Trump pressured President Zelenskyy to investigate President Biden, leading to Trump's first impeachment.[2] Vought refused to cooperate with congressional investigators, characterizing the inquiry as a "sham."[2] Following Trump's 2020 exit from office, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021, a think tank dedicated to advancing the MAGA movement.[2][5] He became a key architect of Project 2025, a comprehensive conservative policy blueprint that outlined plans for restructuring federal government and consolidating executive power.[2][3] His section included proposals for mass civil service firings and significant government restructuring.[3][5] As of February 2025, Vought serves as Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.[7]