Sergio Gor, Trump aide who vets thousands of staffers, hasn’t been fully vetted himself: sources

WASHINGTON — One of the most powerful men in the Trump administration tasked with vetting thousands of staffers hasn’t been fully vetted himself, The Post has learned.

Sergio Gor – the director of presidential personnel who recently convinced President Trump to yank his Elon Musk-endorsed nomination for NASA – has yet to submit official paperwork about his own background needed for a permanent security clearance, according to multiple sources.

Gor, 38, is in charge of picking about 4,000 executive-branch staff to implement Trump’s agenda — and he’s done so by poring over old tweets, political donations and remarks to ensure loyalty to the president.

But three administration insiders told The Post that the vetter-in-chief has not turned in his Standard Form 86, or SF-86 – a more than 100-page set of questions required for officials who need security clearances.

Among the questions applicants must answer under threat of criminal penalties is where they were born and whether they have any foreign connections.

Gor claims to be from the island country of Malta, though an official there could not confirm his birthplace when provided his exact birthday, saying: “No acts are registered with the provided details.”

Gor declined to divulge his birthplace to The Post, other than to say it was not Russia.

Sources describe Gor’s failure to submit the SF-86 as of the time of The Post’s inquiries as rare, if not unique, among White House aides. He currently has an interim security clearance, as do some other Trump officials who are awaiting the completion of background checks.

An SF-86 “is the first step in receiving a security clearance. Everyone — EVERYONE — fills one out, even if they’re not going into a role that will ultimately need an activated clearance [such as] random comms people, administrative staff [and] legislative affairs,” a fourth source said.

“It seemed like a ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’ type situation. Like why are you going so crazy about not wanting to fill this out?”

Gor strongly opposed use of the SF-86 form during the presidential transition, claiming he was concerned about the “deep state” weeding out Trump’s picks.

“He was actively working to convince everyone, including the lawyers, that the SF-86 was unnecessary and that Trump could just provide everyone with a clearance through his executive authority,” the fourth source said.

“He basically argued that the ‘deep state’ could corrupt the clearance process by weaponizing the SF-86 and background check investigations.”

The time-consuming form, which kicks off a review involving the FBI and Defense Department, is typically submitted by everyone who works in the White House, but rare exceptions can be made with presidential approval. 

The form includes questions on place of birth and all former places lived, foreign contacts and family members, foreign funding, drug use and more.

Trump administration and White House officials canvassed by The Post as part of its investigation said they would have gladly skipped over the lengthy process, but that virtually everyone they know submitted the paperwork, which usually is done before starting work.

The White House told The Post that Gor has “completed the form” but would not say when he intends to submit it.

“Sergio was distrustful of the FBI, as were many others in the administration. However to date, he has completed the form and he has an active security clearance,” said a White House official, referring to Gor’s interim security clearance.

White House counsel David Warrington added: “Mr. Gor is fully compliant with all applicable ethical and legal obligations. His security clearance is active, any insinuation he doesn’t maintain a clearance is false.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Sergio Gor is a trusted advisor to President Trump and he has played a critical role in helping President Trump staff the most talented administration in history. It’s sad the New York Post is engaging in baseless gossip rather than focusing on how the Trump administration is tackling the issues impacting our country and world.”

Gor’s rising star: ‘He’s done a great job’

Gor’s wide-ranging vetting role spans from picking ambassadors to staffers who will implement Trump’s policies in every major federal agency, which sources said increases the need for trustworthy leadership.

“The PPO office controls every single political appointee in the government — anyone you hire, the buck starts and stops there,” said one source. “It’s quite a bit of power.”

Previously obscure, Gor burst into the national spotlight this month as he took the blame for Trump’s explosive falling out with Musk.

Gor convinced the president to nix the Tesla founder’s pick to lead NASA, Jared Isaacman, over donations to Democrats — after allegedly nursing a personal grudge and speaking of payback against Musk for “humiliating” him at a cabinet meeting over his pace of hiring.

The aide denied seeking revenge against Musk, saying “those who actively supported Democrats in the last cycle have no place in this administration.”

Gor’s swift rise from an aide to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during Trump’s first term to one of the most important roles in American politics has drawn admirers who view him as an effective enforcer of loyalty to Trump. 

“Sergio has one of the toughest jobs in the administration,” one supporter said. “He has to say ‘no’ to a lot of people, including a lot of cabinet officials [and] a lot of times he’s telling people, ‘No, you can’t hire this person’ for their own good.’ … He has to say ‘no’ to a lot of officials who aren’t used to hearing the letters N and O put together.”

Gor rapidly rose in prominence — and wealth — in 2021 when he cofounded with Donald Trump Jr. a book publishing company, which printed a coffee table book of official snaps of the former and future president.

He quickly earned enough to afford a seven-bedroom, lagoon-front mansion just north of Palm Beach in 2022 — a short drive from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

“Sergio has been nothing but kind, engaging and friendly in the 15 years that I’ve known him,” said Matt Wolking, a Trump 2020 campaign aide. 

“He’s a patriot who loves America and believes in President Trump’s agenda. With such an important role in staffing the administration, he’s no doubt had to disappoint various people who wanted a certain position, but their whining is just that — sour grapes.”

Vice President JD Vance hailed Gor for doing a “great job.”

“Sergio has led the effort to ensure committed, principled America First advocates staff the president’s government,” he said. “He’s done a great job, and will continue to do so.”

‘Mr. Malta’ boasted of island heritage 

Nearly a dozen American officials who have worked with Gor both at the White House and his prior role as a Senate aide say he spoke so often about being Maltese that it was central to his identity.

None of his former or current associates said they never heard him mention any other national origin.

“He talked about it all the time. It was all like he was Mr. Malta,” said a former colleague. “He would talk about Maltese pastries and his favorite bakery in Queens.”

Another said, “Everybody knows that he is ‘Maltese’,” adding that they “don’t know what the motive would be” if that wasn’t the case.

At age 19, he told the Long Beach Press-Telegram in 2006 that he immigrated to the US from Malta at 12 years old — in 1998 or 1999. He did not describe a prior country of residence.

“In history class, you look at all these immigrants who came with rags and accomplished so much,” Gor told the paper. “Becoming a citizen is a step toward the great American Dream.”

The White House said Gor attended elementary and middle school in Malta, but the dates are unclear.

Ian Borg, deputy prime minister of Malta, emailed The Post: “Sergio’s early childhood was spent in Malta for nearly a decade. In fact, he attended elementary and middle school here. He’s perfectly fluent in Maltese, and deeply connected to the island. We are proud to consider Sergio a product of Malta!”

“Who cares where Sergio grew up as a child?” said Charlie Kirk, a cofounder of the pro-Trump group Turning Point USA. “For over two decades he’s worked in conservative politics. His loyalty to President Donald Trump is unmatched. His success in politics is a testament to his skills and talent. He’s an example of the American dream.”

Some sources questioned whether a non-Maltese birthplace alone would be enough to motivate forgoing the standard background check.

“He’s one of those odd characters in DC where there does seem to be something that’s unknown — that there’s part of the puzzle that just doesn’t make sense,” said a source who has tracked Gor’s career.