ESG Critic Appointed Head of DOL Policy

Justin Danhof

Justin Danhof, who has strongly advocated against environmental, social and governance initiatives, is heading policy for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, he announced last week.

Danhof publicized the news via a LinkedIn post, although his appointment as head of policy has not been confirmed by the Department of Labor. Danhof had been serving as a senior policy adviser at the DOL since April 2025 alongside Kevin Lyons and Caitlin Soto, also appointed last year.

Since his 2025 appointment, Danhof has made no secret of his dislike for ESG factors. In September 2025, during a roundtable for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, he said, “ESG, at its core, looks a lot like a Marxist march through corporate culture.”

Prior to EBSA, he served as head of corporate governance at Strive Asset Management for more than three years. The firm, including during Danhof’s tenure, frequently criticized ESG and proxy advisory firms. Strive was founded in 2022 by Vivek Ramaswamy and Anson Frericks. According to the firm’s website, it has “a bold vision: to depoliticize corporate America and restore the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence.”

Since President Donald Trump re-took office in January 2025, the department has announced its intention to craft a new ESG investing rule stating that fiduciaries should only consider “pecuniary factors” when making investment decisions—replacing a rule established by former President Joe Biden with something more like the rule issued during Trump’s previous administration.

The DOL recently issued guidance stating that proxy advisory firms could be considered fiduciaries subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.