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Trump Fires 17 Inspectors General in Late-Night Purge, Violating Federal Law; Justice Department Spared

Jan 25, 2025, 05:23 AM

President Donald Trump has fired 17 independent inspectors general across multiple federal agencies in a late-night purge, according to reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post. The dismissals, which occurred on Friday night, affected agencies including the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Energy. The move is seen as an effort to install loyalists in these critical oversight roles, which are responsible for identifying fraud, waste, and abuse within the government. The firings appear to violate federal law, which mandates that Congress be notified 30 days in advance of any intent to dismiss a Senate-confirmed inspector general. Michael E. Horowitz, the inspector general for the Justice Department, was not affected by this action. Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have expressed concerns that these dismissals undermine the independence of these watchdog positions and could pave the way for widespread corruption.