Trump Nominates Matt Zandi to EEOC Seat

The White House nominated the Justice Department civil rights chief of staff to an open seat on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in People

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President Trump nominated Matt Zandi, currently chief of staff for the Justice Department's civil rights division, to an open seat on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The White House announced the nomination late Monday, November 9, 2026.

Why it matters

If confirmed, Zandi would shift the EEOC's balance of power toward Republicans, which currently has two commissioners against one Democrat. The move follows Trump's firing of Democratic commissioners and a Supreme Court ruling upholding his authority to remove heads of independent agencies.

The EEOC currently has two Republican commissioners, Andrea Lucas and Brittany Panuccio, and one Democratic commissioner, Kalpana Kotagal. If confirmed, Zandi would serve a five-year term ending July 1, 2031, but the Trump administration has not nominated anyone to fill a fifth seat left open after Charlotte Burrows was fired.

The players

Matt Zandi

Zandi currently serves as chief of staff for the Justice Department's civil rights division, which has seen the mass departure of career lawyers.

Donald Trump

Trump is the current President of the United States, who has fired several independent agency commissioners and made the nomination.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The EEOC is the federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination and oversees employer compliance.

The details

Zandi's nomination fills the seat previously held by Jocelyn Samuels, one of two Democratic commissioners Trump fired before their terms ended. Samuels later dropped her lawsuit challenging the dismissal after the Supreme Court upheld Trump's decision to fire heads of several independent agencies.

Late Monday, November 9, 2026: White House announces the Zandi nomination.
January: Democrats take the Senate majority, raising questions about confirmations.
July 1, 2031: End of Zandi's five-year term if confirmed.

Political Context

Trump's firing of Democratic commissioners was upheld by the Supreme Court in a ruling on the removal of heads of several independent agencies. Democratic Senate leaders have vowed not to confirm any Trump nominees to the EEOC, setting up a standoff over the commission's composition.

Employers and workers depend on the EEOC to handle discrimination complaints, and the commission's partisan makeup shapes how aggressively those cases are enforced. The confirmation outcome could change enforcement priorities for private employers across the country.

The takeaway

Federal workplace enforcement depends heavily on who controls the EEOC's commission seats, so confirmation fights over these posts carry direct consequences for employers and employees alike.

What happens next

If the Senate takes up the nomination, Zandi's confirmation vote would determine whether the EEOC regains a full five-member commission before Trump's term ends.