Lynne Patton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lynne Patton
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| White House Director of Minority Outreach | |
| Assumed office January 24, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Administrator of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for Region II | |
| In office July 5, 2017 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lynne Martine Patton
1973 (age 51–52) Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Miami (BA) Quinnipiac University |
Lynne Martine Patton (born 1973) is an important person in the United States government. She currently works as the White House Director of Minority Outreach for President Donald Trump. Before this, she worked in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during President Trump's first time in office.
In June 2017, President Trump chose her to lead HUD's Region II. This area includes New York and New Jersey. She stayed in this role until January 2021. She later faced issues for breaking a rule called the Hatch Act. This rule limits what federal employees can do in politics. In 2021, she paid a fine and was not allowed to work for the government for four years.
Before her government jobs, Patton was an event planner for the Trump family. She helped plan the wedding of Eric Trump. She also helped with the Eric Trump Foundation. She was a speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
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Early Life and Education
Lynne Patton grew up in New Haven, Connecticut. Her father, Curtis L. Patton, was a professor at Yale University. He studied how diseases spread.
Patton went to the University of Miami. She earned a degree in English literature. She also attended Quinnipiac University School of Law for a short time.
Career Highlights
Working with the Trump Family
Lynne Patton was a wedding planner for Eric Trump. She also worked as a longtime personal assistant for Eric Trump and other members of the Trump family. She also worked for The Trump Organization. She was involved in choosing people for the TV show The Celebrity Apprentice.
Patton was one of the unpaid directors at the Eric Trump Foundation. She said she had been with the Trump family since 2009.
In 2016, during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Patton made a video. In the video, she defended Trump against claims of racism. This video was watched millions of times online. She also spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention. In her speech, she talked about how important all lives are. Later, she joined other women from the campaign on a tour to empower women.
She also helped lead the National Diversity Coalition for Trump.
First Trump Administration Role
In January 2017, Patton became a White House contact person for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also became the Director of Public Liaison for HUD. Because the Trump Organization owned some buildings that received money from HUD, some people wondered if there would be fair decisions.
From July 2017 to January 2021, Patton led HUD Region II. This region covers New York and New Jersey. Some people were concerned because she did not have much experience with housing policy.
Patton sometimes faced criticism for comments she made on social media. In 2018, she apologized for a comment she made about a reporter. She also made comments on social media about a Supreme Court nominee and a news channel.
Patton tried to bring attention to housing issues. In 2018, she said she would move into public housing in New York City. She wanted to show the difficult living conditions there. She stayed in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing for a month in 2019.
She also made a surprise appearance at a hearing for Michael Cohen. Cohen was a former lawyer for Trump. At the hearing, a Republican congressman presented Patton. This was to show that Trump was not racist. Her appearance led to a discussion about how people are presented in public hearings.
Understanding the Hatch Act
The Hatch Act is a federal law. It stops government employees from using their official jobs to help political campaigns. In 2019, an office called the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) found that Patton had broken this rule. She had "liked" political posts on her government Twitter account. She received a warning letter.
In 2020, Patton was involved in making a video for the 2020 Republican National Convention. She spoke with four New Yorkers about public housing. The video was edited and shown at the convention. It seemed to show the tenants supporting Trump. However, the tenants said they were not told the video would be used for a political event. They were upset.
In April 2021, Patton agreed to a settlement with the OSC. She admitted to breaking the Hatch Act. She paid a $1,000 fine. She also agreed not to work for the federal government for four years. The OSC said she used her government position to help the Trump campaign.
Trump 2024 Campaign Role
Patton was a senior advisor for the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign.
Second Trump Administration Role
On January 24, 2025, Lynne Patton was appointed as a Deputy Assistant to the President. She also became the Director of Minority Outreach.
Personal Life
Lynne Patton has shared that she faced personal challenges in the past. She has publicly thanked the Trump family for supporting her during those times.
