The Trump administration is serious about administrative turnover, y'all:
Security agents escorted the inspector general of the US Department of Agriculture out of her office on Monday after she refused to comply with her firing by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had earlier told colleagues that she intended to stay after the White House terminated her Friday, saying she didn't believe the administration had followed proper protocols, the sources said.
Federal administrator like:
Trump administration replies:
The Trump administration had fired Fong along with numerous other inspectors general on Friday. Fong alleged that, per the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, "these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time."
That council said last week that a Congressional directive in 2022 requires that "the President notify Congress 30 days prior to removal of an IG." Trump having been in office about 10 days, there hasn't been quite enough time to fulfill that requirement.
This week a group of Senators demanded an explanation for the dismissals:
The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a rare bipartisan letter to President Trump demanding an explanation for his firing of 17 inspectors general (IG) in one night.
The rebuke said Trump violated the law by failing to give Congress 30 days' notice and a rationale for the removal for each of the watchdogs at the 18 agencies where they provided oversight.
It looks like things could get kind of nuts on this front: Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly is "encouraging" the IGs to show up for work anyway, because "not to show up to work is tantamount to conceding this unlawful act is, in fact, lawful, and I don't agree with that."
The White House, meanwhile, is arguing that Trump "is the executive of the executive branch, and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to."
Seems to make sense but don't be surprised if Democrats make a literal federal case about it!
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