Trump suddenly dismisses a dozen general inspectors, responsible for supervising the government | International
President Donald Trump fired at least 12 general inspectors late this Friday, according to anonymous sources cited by the newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post. The purge at one of the highest levels of the Administration, which theoretically violates a law that requires the presidents to warn of Congress 30 days in advance, culminates a week of executive measures and decisions, including several presidential orders, those of greater rank , to get rid of independent officials, appointed by Congress to ensure the proper functioning of the administration and eradicate abuse and improper practices within federal agencies; that is, supervise the government.
One step ahead of Elon Musk, the plenipotentiary responsible for the Government Efficiency Department after the withdrawal of Vivek Ramasswamy, the president has put the government up a few days, when shooting directly to the flotation line, the work of those intermediate charges that allow the operation of the administration gear. If the richest man in the world has promised to “shake the system”, his boss of ranks has done this Friday of a cup, with nocturnality and alevosía.
According to the aforementioned media, the fulminant layoffs, which affect the departments of agriculture, commerce, defense, education, housing and urban development, interior, work, transport and affairs of veterans, together with the Environmental Protection Agency and The administration of small businesses, theoretically violates a law that requires the presidents to notify Congress 30 days in advance before dismissing any general inspector, in addition to justifying the reasons for the dismissal. Just two years ago, remember the New York Timesthe Congress reinforced that provision demanding that the notification include a “substantive justification, including detailed and specific reasons of each case” for dismissal.
General inspectors lists who would have received the white house mail circulated on Saturday morning in Washington. The electronic message informed them, according to the newspapers, that “due to the change of priorities, their position as inspector general” was “finished, with immediate effect.” Trump himself appointed some of the General Inspectors that they have been able to be fired, without knowing the criteria used by the White House to select the names.
The confusion about the scope of the purge is general, since senior officials of the new republican administration have provided different numbers last Friday and first of this Saturday. Two people with knowledge of the matter said 17 general inspectors on Friday night, while a third source said this morning that the figure was at least 12. An official of the new White House confirmed that they have been replaced “some some “General inspectors.
It is also unknown for the moment if the State and Treasury departments have been affected, although several sources indicated that Michael E. Horowitz, the inspector general of the Department of Justice since 2012, has managed to save themselves from burning. Horowitz won the sympathy of the Republicans in 2019, during the investigation of the first Impeachment o Political trial to the current president for the so -called Russian plot, after discovering errors and omissions in FBI’s requests to telephone the communications of an exsessor of foreign policy of the 2016 Trump campaign.
The White House has not responded to the request for comments from the newspapers on the possible violation of the norm that requires warning of the dismissals in advance. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Charles E. Grassley, the main defender of this administrative figure, has assured in a statement that he is collecting more information about what happened. “There may be a good reason for (the general inspectors) were fired,” explains the senator. “We need to know, if so. I would like to receive more explanations from President Trump (…) Apart from ESO, the detailed notice of 30 days of removal required by the law was not provided to Congress ”.
The Inspector General, who is appointed by the President and whose appointment is subject to the confirmation of the Senate, pays accounts to the Attorney General and Congress. Among its functions is to receive and investigate complaints or information from employees about possible violations of the law, norms or regulations.
