Pinover, appointed during President Donald Trump’s second term, used her office as a backdrop for several Instagram posts promoting clothing, with links to affiliate marketing sites. These videos were filmed during business hours, raising concerns that she may have violated government rules prohibiting the use of public property for personal gain.
In one video posted while OPM was overseeing layoffs of thousands of federal employees, Pinover wore a $475 purple skirt and captioned the post with hashtags like #dcinfluencer.
Photo: Instagram
Critics, including former OPM staffers, expressed frustration, noting that while Pinover’s team was working hard on government-related tasks, she was using her office for personal business. This has prompted accusations of hypocrisy, especially as Pinover had been advocating for job cuts while promoting her influencer career.
Ethics experts have weighed in, with some arguing that Pinover’s conduct may violate federal regulations, which prohibit the use of government resources for personal profit. However, Pinover did not identify herself as a federal employee in the posts, which could mitigate some of the concerns raised.
Despite this, watchdog groups have criticised her actions as a breach of ethical standards, particularly given the context of government austerity measures being pushed by the Trump administration and figures like Elon Musk.
Pinover has since deleted her Instagram account, but the controversy continues to fuel debates on the ethics of government employees using their positions for personal gain.