[2] After graduating from law school, Apol interned with the Governor of Michigan before serving in the United States Army for four years.

[4] While interning for the Governor, Apol reviewed financial disclosure reports, which would later earn him an appointment as Counsel for the Senate Ethics Committee from 1987 to 1992.

The appointment by President Trump disrupted the regular order of succession, as under agency rules adopted in 2015, Shaub's chief of staff, Shelley Finlayson, would have assumed the acting director role.

"[7] Following the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price over travel on private charter flights, Apol issued a letter to agency heads in October 2017 asking them to ensure their actions are "motivated by the public good and not by personal interests.

"[8][9] In February 2018, President Trump nominated Emory Rounds to become the permanent OGE director,[10] and his appointment was confirmed on July 13.