Intel’s Top Lobbyist Leaves as U.S. Chip Ambitions Slow

In a unique start to his ruling against President Donald Trump’s administration on September 30, U.S. District Court Judge William Young included a scanned handwritten note sent to his office. The note read: “Trump has pardons and tanks – what do you have?” At the top of Young’s opinion in AAUP v. Rubio, which ruled that Trump’s effort to deport foreign-born student protesters was unconstitutional.

October 8, 2025

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Intel’s departure of key personnel extends beyond lower-level employees, including those who were instrumental in the Ohio facility project. Several ‘talent drain’ figures, such as Kevin Hoggatt, a primary lobbyist for the Ohio One project, have left the company.

Intel’s Lobbyist in the Biden and President Trump Administration Has Departed Following Delays with the Ohio Fab

Team Blue has faced economic challenges over the past few quarters due to various factors, including underperformance of its foundry division. According to a report by Columbus Business First, multiple leaders involved in the Ohio One project have left Intel, including Kevin Hoggatt. Hoggatt was one of the key lobbyists for securing administrative support for the Ohio One project.

On his LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Hoggatt revealed that he was at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ohio One plant, accompanying President Biden. Additionally, he joined Intel’s interim co-CEO David Zinsner on President Trump’s inauguration, indicating his role in establishing a ‘collaborative’ ground with US administrations.

Apart from Hoggatt, Toby Starr (public affairs manager), Sanjay Patel (construction site manager), and Tom Marshall (senior program manager of the Foundry division) have also departed. The Ohio One fab was announced three years ago but has seen little progress towards high-end process production, indicating that economic slowdowns within Team Blue are affecting chipmaking ambitions.

According to reports, the Ohio fab will not be operational until 2031. Intel’s Oregon facility is also facing issues with large-scale layoffs and investment cutbacks. For now, Team Blue’s primary goal is to reduce operating losses and ensure that projects generate valuable returns. As a result, the US chipmaking plans are currently on hold.