Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Melanie Stansbury, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, sent a letter to Stephen Ehikian, Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), raising concerns about the Trump-Musk Administration’s plan to sell off federal property and valuable real estate assets without regard for the law or agencies’ ability to effectively serve the American people.
“We write to express our concern about the General Services Administration’s (GSA) intent to dispose of critical and historical federally owned property without regard for federal agencies’ ability to carry out their missions or consideration for proper stewardship of federal assets,” wrote the Members. “We urge you to provide detailed information responsive to the requests included in this letter in a spirit of transparency about the Trump Administration’s posture toward these core national assets.”
The management and disposal of federal property is subject to a variety of federal laws and regulations to ensure agencies have the resources necessary to achieve their statutory missions while maximizing taxpayer resources. Among other requirements, GSA must circulate a notice of availability of the property to other federal agencies and make the property available for public benefit conveyance for homelessness assistance. If the property is not disposed of through public benefit conveyance, GSA may then dispose of the property via a competitive sale to the public.
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, GSA issued a shocking press release in which GSA announced its intention to dispose of more than 440 federally owned properties they deemed “not core to government operations” apparently without consulting agencies about the extent to which the properties were occupied or needed for government functions.
After significant push back, GSA has since scaled back this list, releasing a smaller list of assets that have been identified for a process termed “accelerated disposition,” while withholding details about agency plans for the larger list of properties previously listed for disposal. GSA has failed to communicate any information about the extent to which the “accelerated disposition” process adheres to relevant laws and regulations, the process by which the buildings currently listed for disposition were identified, or the process through which GSA intends to solicit and evaluate offers to purchase these properties.
Furthermore, while GSA was developing plans to dispose of hundreds of federally owned buildings, Acting Administrator Ehikian’s brother, Mr. Brad Ehikian, reportedly proposed to purchase a federally owned 17-acre property in Menlo Park, California, for half of its previously estimated value. Federal ethics regulations clearly state that federal employees should avoid even the appearance that they are violating ethical standards or laws.
The prospect that family members of Administration officials would seek to benefit financially at the expense of taxpayers is not only illegal, but also destructive to the public’s trust.
Acting Administrator Ehikian’s actions give the appearance that GSA’s goal is to sell our nation’s assets to the highest bidder, enriching the already-wealthy friends and family of the Trump-Musk Administration at the direct expense of Americans’ needs and taxpayer dollars.
“When you were appointed as Acting Administrator, you stated that, ‘moving forward, GSA will be laser-focused on driving an efficient government and enabling our sister agencies to provide better service to taxpayers at lower costs.’ However, the actions GSA has taken since January 20, 2025, have created mass confusion across federal, state, and local governments and have served as a perfect example of the self-defeating, self-enriching, DOGE-inspired approach to the dismantlement of our government that typifies many of the major initiatives of the Trump Administration,” concluded the Members.
Click here to read the letter to Acting Administrator Ehikian.
