It is being reported that the White House will be nominating Matt Zandi, current chief of staff at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, to fill one of two vacant seats on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). If this nomination is successful, it will solidify the Republican’s majority on the Commission, as it is currently made up of two members selected by President Trump, and one member selected by President Biden. As no more than three members can be from the same political party, one vacant spot will remain.
Zandi has served as the Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to former Associate Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon since April 2025. Dhillon, who resigned last week after the midterm elections, directed a major ideological shift in the Civil Rights Division. Under Dhillon’s leadership, and during Zandi’s tenure, the Division has focused on ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in private companies, fighting antisemitism on college campuses, and investigating alleged voter fraud.
Prior to the DOJ, Zandi worked in management-side private practice since graduating from Pepperdine Caruso Law in 1999. Following the nomination, Zandi will go through the Senate confirmation process. EEOC Commissioner nominations are assigned to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It is anticipated that the administration will push to have the confirmation process completed prior to newly elected Senators being seated in January 2027.