Biden nominates HHS official for promotion after Trump sought to remove her last year

The White House has announced a slate of nominees for various federal agency positions, among which was a former inspector general targeted by then-President Donald Trump last year amid a report she authored on his administration's handling of the early COVID crisis. 

The Biden administration said in a Friday announcement that it was nominating Christi Grimm for the position of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The Trump administration sought to replace Grimm last year in her role as principal deputy inspector general of HHS after she published a report outlining alleged deficiencies of the Trump administration's handling of hospital management in the early days of the pandemic. 

Biden's nomination of Grimm would thus constitute a promotion for the civil servant, though the White House noted in its release that Grimm has been "performing the duties of the Inspector General since January 2020."