Judy Shelton, whose controversial economic views led to the Senate blocking her nomination as a Federal Reserve governor, has been appointed as an advisor to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Before joining the Ministry of Finance, Shelton was a senior researcher at the Independent Institute for Free Market Thought, and prior to that, she worked at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah.

In a statement to be released later on Friday, the Ministry of Finance stated: "Throughout her career, she has focused on analyzing the internal monetary and financial conditions of various countries and their impact on exchange rates."

A group composed of senators from both parties – including all Democrats and a few Republicans – once vetoed President Donald Trump's nomination of Janet Yellen to serve as a Federal Reserve governor in 2019, on the grounds of her views on the independence of the Federal Reserve, her support for the gold standard, and her questioning of whether the United States needed a central bank at all.

Her appointment comes at a time when there seems to be turmoil in the senior personnel of the Ministry of Finance. Looking at the seven officials who have resigned as of the end of August and were confirmed by the Senate, only one position has been filled so far.

Bersenth recently appointed David Zewers, former chief market strategist at Jefferies, as a consultant – holding the same title as Shelton. Neither Shelton nor Zewers require Senate approval.