Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected allegations that he recommended the firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick as retaliation for an investigation; State Department correspondent Rich Edson reports.
Grassley says White House ‘failed’ to explain why IGs were fired
by Ronn BlitzerSen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is calling out the White House for failing to adequately explain President Trump’s recent firings of inspectors general, claiming that the removals violated requirements to provide Congress with the reasoning for such decisions.
Grassley had asked the White House in April about the firing of Intelligence Community IG Michael Atkinson and earlier this month made a similar request regarding the termination of State Department IG Steve Linick. After a follow-up letter sent May 18, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone defended the moves, comparing them to similar acts taken by former President Barack Obama, but Grassley remained unsatisfied.
“Though the Constitution gives the president the authority to manage executive branch personnel, Congress made clear that if the president is going to fire an inspector general, there ought to be a good reason for it,” Grassley said in a statement. “The White House Counsel’s response failed to address this requirement, which Congress clearly stated in statute and accompanying reports. I don’t dispute the president’s authority under the Constitution, but without sufficient explanation, it’s fair to question the president’s rationale for removing an inspector general.”
Grassley cited a requirement for presidents to provide notice and explanation for removing inspectors general 30 days prior to doing so. Cipollone claimed that Trump met that requirement.
“The President explained that he ‘no longer’ had ‘fullest confidence’ in their abilities to serve as inspectors general,” Cipollone said, explaining that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that this language was sufficient as an explanation when Obama removed Gerald Walpin, who had been Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service, in 2009.
Grassley noted that he also objected to Obama’s removal of Walpin at the time.
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Grassley also took issue with Trump’s decision to name acting IGs who are also politically appointed officials from those same agencies – and who continue to serve in those roles.
“The White House Counsel’s letter does not address this glaring conflict of interest,” Grassley’s statement said. “Congress established inspectors general to serve the American people—to be independent and objective watchdogs, not agency lapdogs. That’s the only way they can help drain the swamp of waste, fraud, and abuse entrenched within unelected bureaucracies.”
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Cipollone’s letter touted the qualifications of the acting IGs and noted that they “will coordinate with relevant agency officials, including designated agency ethics officials, to ensure that they are properly discharging the duties of the inspector general.”