Free Republic

In a decisive move that has sent shockwaves through the political elite in Washington, President Trump has dismissed 17 inspectors general. “The inspectors general were dismissed via emails from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, with no notice sent to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who have pledged bipartisan support for the watchdogs, in advance of the firings, the person said,” reports Politico. “The emails gave no substantive explanation for the dismissals, with at least one citing ‘changing priorities’ for the move, the person added.” Trump’s brazen move provides an early test for Congress, less than a week into Trump’s return...

The inspector generals for the Central Intelligence Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence resigned from their oversight roles after former President Donald Trump's re-election victory. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Thomas Monheim and the CIA's Robin Ashton are the two IGs who resigned. Monheim and Ashton were nominated by President Biden in 2021 and confirmed by the Senate. “After more than 38 years of public service, I am retiring from the federal government at the end of this year. It has been the pinnacle of my rewarding career to serve alongside the dedicated officers...

Probably in part because the Obama administration intimidates inspector generals. Among all the unanswered questions about the IRS’s illegal targeting of conservative organizations, one is most crucial: Who ordered this extreme scrutiny? Amazingly, IRS inspector general J. Russell George, responsible for the investigation asking those questions about the IRS, has testified that he did not obtain that information. Details of that testimony are interesting. Representative Tom Graves (R., Ga.) asked, “Have you asked the individuals who ordered them to use this extra scrutiny to punish, or penalize, or postpone, or deny?” George turns around to confer with his assistant. Just...

Former AmeriCorps watchdog Gerald Walpin is only the first – yet still the most controversial – of three inspectors general to leave their posts prematurely since President Obama took office, and now he's asking for a congressional hearing into his suspicious firing by the White House. As WND has reported, inspectors general are supposed to be protected from political interference so they can root out fraud and waste of government grant money wherever it may lie. Questions have been raised, however, about the White House's firing of Walpin and have been further exacerbated by the subsequent resignation of Amtrak's watchdog...