Eight inspectors general allege their recent terminations were illegal.
Eight inspectors general fired by the Trump administration are suing to have their jobs restored.
A lawsuit filed on Feb. 12 in Washington asks a federal judge to recognize the dismissals as unlawful and reinstate the independent watchdogs to their respective offices.
The plaintiffs are the former inspectors general of the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, State, Education, Agriculture, Labor, and the Small Business Administration.
President Donald Trump’s administration closed out its first week in January by dismissing more than a dozen inspectors general from various agencies.
In total, at least 18 inspectors general have now been fired.
The role of inspector general, which is meant to be nonpartisan, involves conducting oversight and rooting out corruption, waste, and abuse within the federal government.
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Although they are presidentially appointed, their dismissal legally requires the provision of a 30-day notice to Congress. That notice, the lawsuit says, was not given in the case of these appointees.
The lack of notice drew criticism from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
“While IGs aren’t immune from committing acts requiring their removal, and they can be removed by the president, the law must be followed,” the senators wrote on Jan. 28.
“The communication to Congress must contain more than just broad and vague statements; rather, it must include sufficient facts and details to assure Congress and the public that the termination is due to real concerns about the Inspector General’s ability to carry out their mission.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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