INSPECTOR GENERAL FIRING SPREE BY TRUMP DEEMED ILLEGAL, INITIALIZING A LAWSUIT
Eight inspector generals were fired by President Donald Trump only days after he took office a second time. This includes the inspector generals for the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). However, there are laws protecting such motions and the backlash has already begun. A lawsuit has been filed against Trump as each inspector general aims to get their job back.
Can Trump Fire Inspector Generals?
President Trump fired inspector generals affecting 17 different federal agencies in a move many legal experts deem illegal.
However, there are legal protections in place for inspector generals, a position that aims to help avoid corruption and waste involving taxation and management.
Legal challenges are already pouring in as many believe Trump's inspector general moves are a violation of ethics and illegal.
Inspector Generals File a Lawsuit
It’s not that the President can’t fire an inspector general, but it’s important to go about it the right way.
The lawsuit filed by multiple federal agency watchdogs against the Trump administration is because the fired inspector generals do not believe that Congress was notified at least 30 days prior nor provided a "substantive, case-specific rationale" defining their removal as dictated by law.
These lawsuits only add to the growing tally against Trump and his administration in the early days of his second term.
By filing the lawsuits, court injunctions could allow the inspector generals to return to work even after access to government buildings, accounts, IDs, devices, etc. since they’ve been removed.
Inspector General Act of 1978
The reason the lawsuits are being filed boils down to the Inspector General Act of 1978, which mandates the perimeters requiring certain procedures for firing these positions.
It’s legislation Trump should be familiar with, considering he followed it when firing the State Department inspector general during his first term in 2020, despite disputes surrounding the move's legality.
Temporary Inspector Generals for The Pentagon and VA
Robert Storch held the role of inspector general for The Pentagon, making a “monetary impact” of $10.8 billion during his time, with Michael Missal holding the position of VA inspector general, where he saved $45 billion since 2016.
While the legal process continues to play out, Principal Deputy inspector general Steven Stebbins will take on the role of The Pentagon, while Deputy inspector general David Case will step up for VA until replacements are found and everything is sorted.
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