Statement: American Oversight Condemns Mass Firings of Inspectors General by Trump Administration
The actions taken by President Trump and his administration represent a clear violation of the law and a direct attack on the independence and integrity of the offices tasked with holding the federal government accountable.
On Saturday, in response to Donald Trump firing at least a dozen independent Inspectors General overnight without proper notice to Congress, American Oversight Deputy Executive Director Liz Hempowicz has issued the following statement:
“The actions taken by President Trump and his administration represent a clear violation of the law and a direct attack on the independence and integrity of the offices tasked with holding the federal government accountable. They are intended to undermine the systems that work and routinely expose threats to public safety and return billions of dollars to taxpayers every year. The president is denying Congress — and by extension, the American people — the transparency needed to defend the Inspector General system.”
Late Friday, January 24, President Trump’s White House personnel director notified dozens of Senate-confirmed, independent Inspectors General from at least 14 major federal agencies that they had been terminated, effective immediately. However, under the Inspector General Act of 1978, Congress must receive a 30-day notice before an Inspector General is dismissed. The law was amended in 2022 to, among other things, require substantive explanation, including case-specific reasons for the removal or transfer of an Inspector General.
In a statement on Saturday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) confirmed the White House had failed to follow the 30-day detailed notice required by federal law.
American Oversight’s Deputy Executive Director Liz Hempowicz is an expert on the Inspector General Act and available for interviews — reach out to press@americanoversight.org to request.