2025 dismissals of inspectors general
On January 24, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the immediate firing of at least 17 inspectors general across various federal government agencies. The late-night mass dismissal has raised significant concerns about government oversight, accountability, and potential legal violations, and was called a "Friday night coup", "Friday night purge", "midnight purge"[1] or "illegal midnight massacre"[2] by media and critics.[3][4][5][6]
Background
Inspectors general (IGs) serve as independent watchdogs within federal agencies, tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. Their roles are to maintain transparency and accountability within government operations. These officials are appointed to serve across different administrations and are protected under federal law, which requires the president to provide a 30-day notice to Congress before any dismissal.[3][7]
The firings
On the night of January 24, 2025, Trump announced the immediate firing of approximately 17 inspectors general from various agencies, including the Department of Defense, State Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Energy, and Department of Transportation. According to reports, the inspectors general were notified of their termination via email, citing "changing priorities" as the reason for their dismissal.[3]
- Phyllis Fong
- Mike Ware, chair of Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)[8]
- Mark Greenblatt, Interior IG[9][10]
- Rae Oliver Davis, Inspector General of HUD, was confirmed to have been terminated.[11]
- Robert Storch, Inspector General of the Department of Defense[11]
- Sean O'Donnell - Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Cardell Richardson Sr. - Inspector General of the State Department.
- Christi Grimm - Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- Michael Missal,[12] VA IG
The Department of Justice Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, former CIGIE chair,[13] was reportedly not fired.[11]
Legality
Federal law mandates a 30-day notice to Congress, which critics argue was violated in this instance.[3][7]
Experts have raised concerns that the dismissals may violate the Inspector General Act of 1978, which stipulates the process for the removal of inspectors general. Hannibal Ware, the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration, sent a letter to the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, urging them to reconsider the decision and comply with legal procedures.[3]
Reactions
House Democrats condemned the firings in a letter to Trump, characterizing them as an "attack on transparency and accountability". Representative Gerry Connolly, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, described the action as a "Friday night coup," further stating that it undermines public trust in government institutions.[3] Representative Angie Craig echoed these concerns, particularly highlighting the dismissal of the inspector general at the Department of Agriculture, noting that such actions threaten the integrity of programs supporting farmers and nutrition assistance.[11]
Republican lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Susan Collins, also voiced concerns. Collins stated, "I don't understand why one would fire individuals whose mission it is to root out waste, fraud and abuse."[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Ranking Member Angie Craig Statement on Midnight Purge of Inspectors General". House Agriculture Committee | Democrats. 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Honderich, Holly (26 January 2025). "Trump fires at least a dozen government watchdogs". BBC. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Trump Fires Numerous Inspectors General in Friday Night Purge". wsj. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Trump Accused Of 'Dismantling Checks On His Power' After Firing Inspectors General—Here's What To Know". Forbes. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ Messerly, Megan; Gerstein, Josh; Cheney, Kyle; Toosi, Nahal (January 25, 2025). "Trump fires independent inspectors general in Friday night purge". Politico. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Miller, Zeke; Tucker, Eric; Weissert, Will (January 25, 2025). "Trump uses mass firing to remove independent inspectors general at a series of agencies". Associated Press.
- ^ Dobkin, Rachel (2025-01-26). "Donald Trump just "technically" violated the law—Lindsey Graham". Newsweek. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ "Trump fires 18 inspectors general overnight in legally murky move". NBC News. 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
- ^ Talking Feds with Harry Litman (2025-01-26). BREAKING NEWS: 1-on-1 With Fired Inspector General. Retrieved 2025-01-27 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d "Trump ousts more than a dozen inspectors general in late night action". The Hill. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Trump fires VA's top watchdog in purge of federal inspectors general". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ "Statement of Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform, Subcommittee on Government Op". oig.justice.gov. Archived from the original on 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
