Trump sleeping during a religious service (Photo: YouTube)
Late on Friday, January 24, convicted felon and President Donald Trump fired 17 Inspectors General of federal agencies.
Inspectors General are independent government watchdogs who investigate allegations of waste, fraud and abuse inside government agencies.
Trump’s action was done in a way that violated 5 U.S. Code Chapter 4, §415 (e)(2) of the Inspector Generals Act of 1978, which says he must give both houses of Congress 30 days notice of the removal:
(2) Inspector general removed or transferred.— If an Inspector General is removed from office or is transferred to another position or location within a designated Federal entity, the head of the designated Federal entity shall communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal or transfer.
In legal terms, the word “shall” indicates an absolute obligation. It clearly imposes a specific duty upon a person. Trump also violated another part of the same law that requires the President first supply “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons for the change” to both houses of Congress:
(B) If the President places an Inspector General on non-duty status, the President shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons, for the change in status to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate congressional committees) not later than 15 days before the date on which the change in status takes effect…”
Trump defended his move by lying to the public. He said that a mass removal of inspectors general was “a very standard thing to do.”
It is not.
