President Trump fired at least 12 inspectors general late Friday night, with some sources indicating as many as 17, marking a sweeping overhaul of independent watchdogs tasked with monitoring federal agencies.
While presidents are authorized to remove inspectors general, federal law requires 30 days’ notice to Congress along with an explanation for such dismissals. The White House did not address why this procedure was seemingly bypassed.
Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department inspector general, reportedly remains in his position. Horowitz gained attention for a 2019 report seeking to uphold the FBI’s “rationale” for opening the 2016 Russian Collusion hoax investigation, while criticizing certain procedural errors.
In early 2020, Trump dismissed five inspectors general, including Michael Atkinson, who handled the whistleblower complaint that led to his first impeachment.
