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(NewsNation) — A White House official has confirmed to NewsNation that “some” of the independent inspectors general from major federal agencies “have been asked to leave.”
NewsNation partner The hill reported that Trump has appointed about 17 federal watchdogs within various departments, including the Department of Veteran Affairs, Defense Department, State Department, Energy Department and Housing and Urban Development.
A HUD spokesman told The Hill that Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis received notice Friday.
The Washington Post reported late Friday night that “The White House fired the independent inspectors general of at least 14 major federal agencies in a purge that could clear the way for President Donald Trump to install loyalists in the critical role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in government.”
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig criticized Trump’s move in a statement Saturday.
“While the president has the right to replace the inspector general, firing these independent watchdogs late at night not only violates the law, but also hampers our ability to fight waste, fraud and abuse and ensure that programs are run as Congress intended , whether it’s disaster relief for farmers or nutrition programs,” she said.
Craig referred to the “midnight purge of inspector generals” as “alarming and unprecedented.”
“These layoffs threaten to undermine public confidence at a time when many hard-working Americans doubt whether government institutions are looking out for them and reinforce the perception that politicians are going to play by a different set of rules,” she added.
Senator Chuck Schumer also ripped Trump on Xand said it “is a glaring sign that it is a golden age of corruption and abuse in government.”
In an earlier statement on the platform, Schumer also said it could be a violation of federal law with the 30-day notice required to fire inspectors general.
