GSA announces a fresh cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows - The Daily Scoop Podcast

Summary4 min read

The Daily Scoop Podcast:
GSA Announces a Fresh Cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows
Date: April 24, 2026
Host: Matt Bracken (filling in for Billy Mitchell)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights two major stories at the intersection of technology and federal management:

The General Services Administration (GSA) introduced a new wave of Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF), drawing in top technologists to propel digital transformation across federal agencies.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant publicly explained the department’s decision to cut all contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, stemming from high-profile data leaks and concerns over contractor vetting and security.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. GSA’s New Presidential Innovation Fellows Cohort

Announcement Details
- [00:20] The GSA unveiled a new class of 17 Presidential Innovation Fellows for 2026, recruiting from prominent tech companies, startups, and organizations nationwide.
- These technologists begin year-long “tours of duty” across ten federal agencies including CISA, NIST, the Department of Energy, CMS, and the VA.
Program History and Context
- [01:08] The PIF program, established in 2012, gained permanence in 2015 with an executive order by President Obama.
- It enables experienced technologists to embed within government agencies, driving modernization and sharing private sector expertise.
Recent Administration Moves
- [01:36] The Trump administration is emphasizing tech hiring and digital innovation through initiatives like the U.S. Tech Force and expanding the rebranded “U.S. Doge Service” (formerly U.S. Digital Service).
- There’s a notable pendulum shift: while prior years under the same administration saw workforce and technologist cuts (including the shutdown of 18F), the current focus is on reinvigorating government technology roles.
- Memorable Quote:
  “Notably, the Trump administration's current hiring efforts follow its previous work to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including technologists within GSA."
  — Matt Bracken [01:50]
Strategic New Hiring Focus
- [01:55] Beyond PIFs, GSA recently brought in additional tech talent to advance priority projects like Login.gov, TTS Engineering, and initiatives related to artificial intelligence (“USAI”).

2. Treasury Department Cancels Booz Allen Hamilton Contracts

Background on the Decision
- [02:41] In a significant development, the Treasury Department severed all ties with consulting giant Booz Allen Hamilton. The move followed a lapse in security practices leading to a damaging leak.
Details of the Leak
- [03:00] Former Booz Allen contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn leaked confidential tax returns of hundreds of thousands—including high-profile individuals like President Trump and Elon Musk—to media outlets between 2018 and 2020.
- Littlejohn was sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for unauthorized disclosure.
Secretary Scott Bessant’s Testimony
- [03:29] During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Secretary Bessant explained that the contract terminations were based on a loss of confidence in Booz Allen’s contractor vetting and deployment practices.
- Memorable Quote:
  "Bessant told lawmakers that he blamed Booz for the vetting process and that he believed Little John's actions were, quote, unquote, premeditated."
  — Matt Bracken [03:45]
Booz Allen’s Response
- [04:08] The firm responded, asserting that the leaks occurred on government, not Booz Allen, systems, and emphasized that they neither store nor have access to taxpayer data on their own networks:
  Memorable Quote:
  “A Booz spokesperson told Fed Scoop… the company was surprised by this announcement due to the fact that it had ‘fully supported the US Government in its investigation…’ The government expressed gratitude for our assistance, unquote.”
  — Matt Bracken [04:13]
- Booz Allen further maintained it cannot monitor government networks where the breach took place.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Talent Model for Technologists:
“The model allows established technologists to serve tours of duty in the government to share their expertise.”
— Matt Bracken [02:16]
On the PIF Program’s Evolution:
“While PIF began in 2012, it became a permanent fixture of the federal government in 2015 via an executive order signed by President Barack Obama.”
— Matt Bracken [01:20]
On the Significance of the Booz Allen Split:
“Besson said that Treasury no longer has confidence in the firm’s ability to screen, vet and deploy contractors within the IRS or the entire Treasury Department.”
— Matt Bracken [03:57]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[00:20] – Introduction to the new PIF cohort and GSA announcement
[01:08] – History and purpose of the Presidential Innovation Fellows
[01:36] – Policy and hiring shift under Trump administration; tech hiring focus
[02:41] – Treasury Department’s decision to cancel Booz Allen contracts
[03:00] – Background of the Booz Allen/Littlejohn leak
[03:29] – Treasury Secretary’s Senate testimony and rationale
[04:08] – Booz Allen Hamilton’s official response

Summary

This episode underscores the dynamic tension in federal technology hiring and contracting. The GSA's renewed investment in tech talent via the PIF program comes amidst historical shifts in administration policy. Meanwhile, the Treasury’s break with Booz Allen Hamilton highlights ongoing challenges in cybersecurity, contractor oversight, and the repercussions of trust breaches at the highest federal levels.

Listeners gain insight into not just the mechanics of these stories, but also the motivations and implications for the future of technology leadership within the federal government.

Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
A
Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group, the General Services Administration is refreshing the Presidential Innovation Fellows program with a new cohort of tech talent, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant details the agency's thought process behind canceling all of its Booz Allen Hamilton contracts. It's Friday, April 24, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Matt Bracken filling in for Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining. Let's dive into the day's top headlines. The General Services Administration announced 17 new presidential innovation Fellows on Thursday, refreshing the Technologist focused program. A release shared with Fed Scoop ahead of the announcement described the 2026 cohort as experts from top tech companies, startups and organizations around the country. Per that announcement, the fellows will serve their year long tours of duty at 10 federal agencies. The PIF program is located under GSA's Technology Transformation Services and has been around since 2012. The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has focused efforts on technology hiring, including its U.S. tech Force program for early career workers and recent news that the U.S. doge Service, formerly the U.S. digital Service, is expanding. In fact, the PIF announcement noted that in addition to the new class of fellows, GSA has hired top technology talent recently to focus on priorities such as login.gov, tTS Engineering and USAI. Notably, the Trump administration's current hiring efforts follow its previous work to reduce the size of the federal workforce, including technologists within GSA. The Trump administration eliminated 18F and oversaw the alteration of the US Digital Service to the US Doge Service. In February 2025. Wired reported that the administration's terminations of probationary and short term workers included fellows in the PIF program. While pif began in 2012, it became a permanent fixture of the federal government in 2015 via an executive order signed by President Barack Obama. The model allows established technologists to serve tours of duty in the government to share their expertise. The new group of fellows will be placed at agencies including cisa, nist, the Energy Department, CMS and the va, among others. In other news, the Treasury Department's loss of confidence in Booz Allen Hamilton led to the agency's decision to cancel its contracts with the consulting firm earlier this year. Secretary Scott Bessant said that this surprise move came years after a former employee leaked tax returns to media outlets during a Senate Appropriations, Financial Services and Government subcommittee hearing. Bessant was asked by Chair Bill Haggerty of Tennessee to walk lawmakers through Treasury's thought process behind the abrupt January announcement that the department would cut all ties with booze. Between 2018 and 2020, Charles Edward Littlejohn leaked the confidential tax returns and information of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers to the New York Times and ProPublica, including the returns of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and other wealthy Americans. In July 2024, Little John pleaded guilty to one count of disclosing tax return information without authorization and was sentenced to five years in prison. Abu spokesperson told Fed Scoop at the time that the company was surprised by this announcement due to the fact that it had, quote, fully supported the US Government in its investigation which led to Little John's conviction and incarceration. The government expressed gratitude for our assistance, unquote. But Besson told lawmakers that he blamed Booze for the vetting process and that he believed Little John's actions were, quote, unquote, premeditated. Besson said that treasury no longer has confidence in the Affirm's ability to screen, vet and deploy contractors within the IRS or the entire Treasury Department. Booze's response to Bessant's new comments were that Little John's conduct more than five years ago occurred on government systems, not Booz Allen Systems, and the firm said that it stores no taxpayer data on its systems and has no ability to monitor activity on government networks. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, visit fedscoop.com. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast platforms. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thank you. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. adam Butler and Carlin Fisher helped put this show together, and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back next week with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host Matt Bracken. Thanks for listening.