Radley thinks it’s a ‘she.’

Some speculation on the op-ed author: It contains a lot of op-ed-ese — transitions and terms generally used by people with experience writing for opinion pages. That suggests a think tank background, where op-ed writing is a regular part of the job. /1

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) September 6, 2018

Next is the use of the phrase “free minds, markets,” which is the motto of Reason, which suggests someone from libertarian circles. The op-ed also mentions deregulation as one of Trump’s successes (if in spite of himself). /2

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) September 6, 2018

Highest-ranking person who meets the criteria — regulatory expertise, think tank background, libertarian exposure, likely anger at Trump’s violations of norms — is Trump’s “regulatory czar” Neomi Rao, appointed in April 2017.

Just speculation. But she checks several boxes. /3

— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) September 6, 2018