Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst has been nominated by President Trump to remain in the position permanently, according to a White House announcement.

The prior nominee for the post -- former GE executive Jeffrey Bornstein -- had his nomination withdrawn in October without any official explanation.

Hurst, a former staffer for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), has been acting comptroller since August 2025.

Prior to that he performed the duties of assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs.

In April 2025, Hurst led a Defense Department task force focused on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Hurst served as an Army legislative liaison and congressional fellow. He also managed Project Maven, an artificial intelligence program launched in 2017 to help the U.S. military analyze huge amounts of surveillance data.

Additionally, Hurst has served as executive officer for technology and analytic innovation for Joint Special Operations Command.

Most recently, Hurst helped craft the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion budget request and has testified on Capitol Hill alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.