(CLO) According to a high-ranking source widely reported by US media, President Donald Trump fired at least 12 inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies on Friday evening.
The fired inspectors general received an email late Friday from Sergio Gor, head of the Presidential Personnel Office, informing them that "changing priorities" had resulted in their positions being "terminated" effective immediately.
The mass layoffs affect a large part of the federal government, including the departments of State , Energy, Interior, Defense and Transportation.
During his first term, Mr. Trump eliminated independent government watchdogs he deemed disloyal. The IG is tasked with investigating and auditing any potential wrongdoing, fraud, waste, or abuse by a government agency or its employees, and issuing reports and recommendations on its findings. An IG office is designed to operate independently.
US President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders in his first days in office. Photo: White House
In response to Mr Trump’s previous firings of inspectors general, Congress has built new safeguards to protect them. A 2022 law requires the White House to provide a justification for firing any inspector general.
The firing has even raised concerns among some Republican senators, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a prominent “watchdog” of inspectors general, who said Congress was not given the 30-day notice required by federal law from the White House.
“There may have been good reason for the IGs’ dismissals,” Grassley said Saturday in a statement provided by his office. “We need to know if there was. I would like President Trump to explain further. Regardless, the detailed 30-day notice of dismissals required by law was not provided to Congress.”
The chairman of the Council on Inspectors General for Integrity and Performance said in a statement Saturday that the law governing removal of inspectors general must be followed.
“IGs are not immune from removal. However, the law must be followed to protect the government’s independent oversight of America,” said Hannibal “Mike” Ware, who was fired as inspector general of the Small Business Administration.
Ware emphasized the nonpartisan nature of the IG while detailing the functions of the position. “IGs across the federal government work every day on behalf of American taxpayers to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the programs and operations of their agencies,” he said.
Other Republican senators also expressed concern about the lack of notice and the nature of the firings. “What I understand is that this is relatively unprecedented in that there was no notice,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Senator Susan Collins also expressed concern about the firing, saying that the move to fire the inspector general was inconsistent with Mr. Trump's stated goal of ending corruption.
"I don't understand why people would fire individuals whose mission is to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. So this leaves a void in what I know is President Trump's priorities," the Maine Republican told reporters.
Democrats, meanwhile, have of course been sharply critical of the firings, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the move "a cold purge" and warning the firings could usher in "a golden age of government abuse, even corruption."
Bui Huy (according to NBC, Reuters, CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-trump-sa-thai-it-nhat-12-tong-thanh-tra-trong-mot-dem-post332042.html
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