Inspectors General Sue Trump Administration After Being Fired by President
Lawsuit claims president failed to notify Congress or provide reasons for termination
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Eight inspectors general fired by President Trump in late January filed a lawsuit against the administration Wednesday alleging their termination violated the law, adding to dozens of other legal challenges facing the president at the start of his new term.
About 17 inspectors general were fired last month in
a Friday night purge by the White House, which didn’t publicly announce the moves or provide an explanation as to why the officials lost their jobs. The firings led to concerns from both Democrats and some Republicans that the administration might have violated federal rules that require advance notice to Congress before such firings.
… IGs from the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education, Labor and State as well as Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Defendants include Trump and the heads of agencies where the plaintiffs worked.
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IGs are tasked with scrutinizing the actions of federal agencies to make sure they comply with laws and don’t misuse authority or taxpayer money. They have investigative powers and can respond to congressional requests for internal probes.
Trump has targeted other federal watchdogs and law-enforcement officials in recent weeks. On Monday, the Office of Government Ethics said Trump had removed its director, David Huitema, who had been confirmed by the Senate in November for a five-year term. Trump’s Justice Department has fired lawyers who worked on special counsel
Jack Smith’s two prosecutions of the president.
Trump has accused IGs of being against his agenda and insufficient in their loyalties—even when he had appointed them. In April 2020, he fired intelligence community IG Michael Atkinson—his own appointee—after he had informed Congress about
a whistleblower complaint concerning a phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The call was the basis of Trump’s first impeachment. …”