Jan. 25 (UPI) — President Donald Trump fired the independent inspectors general from at least a dozen federal agencies, with the sudden move drawing strong criticism from top Democrats.
Trump made the moves late Friday, the Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
The inspector generals were notified by email of their immediate termination, a move that may violate a law requiring 30 days notice to fire any federal official confirmed to the job by the U.S. Senate.
The full extent of the firings wasn’t immediately clear but Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Inspector Rae Oliver Davis was among those let go, a HUD spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
In addition to HUB, the inspector generals from the departments of housing, education, agriculture, commerce, interior, labor and transportation were among those fired, according to the New York Times, which was one of the first to report the purge.
The number of firings could be as high as 17, according to USA Today, which reported inspector generals at the Pentagon, Department of Veterans Affairs and State Department were among casualties.
An inspector general is often referred to as a cabinet department’s watchdog and responsible for policing efficiency and corruption among other things.
“[They] conduct independent and objective audits and investigations relating to DHS programs and operations,” reads a definition of the role within the Department of Homeland Security.
During his first term in 2020, Trump dismissed the inspectors general from five departments over the span of six weeks, prompting Democratic leadership to call for new laws to protect the roles.
Top Democrats voiced opposition as news of Friday’s mass firing leaked out.
Minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. called the move a “chilling purge.”
“In the dark of night, President Trump fired at least 12 independent inspector generals at important federal agencies across the Administration. A chilling purge. It’s a preview of the lawless approach Donald Trump and his administration is taking to being President,” Schumer wrote on X.
“Donald Trump’s decision to fire twelve of the federal government’s independent watchdogs is a glaring sign that it’s a Golden Age for corruption and abuse in government,” he wrote in a separate post.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote Saturday morning wrote Saturday morning on X:
“It’s a purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night. Inspectors general are charged with rooting out government waste, fraud, abuse, and preventing misconduct.
“President Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.”
