WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies, a sweeping action to remove oversight of his new administration that some members of Congress are suggesting violated federal oversight laws.
The dismissals began Friday night and were effective immediately, according to two people familiar with the actions. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public. Neither confirmed the exact number of firings, but an email sent by one of the fired inspectors general said “roughly 17” inspectors general had been removed.
Congress was not given 30-day notices about the removals –- something that even a top Republican is decrying.
“There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress,” said Grassley, R-Iowa.
The role of the modern-day inspector general dates to post-Watergate Washington, when Congress installed offices inside agencies as an independent check against mismanagement and abuse of power. Though inspectors general are presidential appointees, some serve presidents of both parties. All are expected to be nonpartisan.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., acknowledged that the firings violated statutes but shrugged it off: “Just tell them you need to follow the law next time,” he said.
Democrats and watchdog groups, however, used the dismissals to raise alarm that Trump was making it easier to take advantage of the government.
“Inspectors General are the cops on the beat preventing bad things from happening,” Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, said in a statement. “Their work saves the taxpayer tens of billions of dollars every year.”
The White House did not…
