Senate Democrats call for reinstatement of IGs fired by Trump

A group of nearly 40 Senate Democrats is calling on President Trump to reinstate all of the inspectors general (IG) he fired in one night last week, arguing the decision does not comply with the law and “could do lasting harm to IG independence.”

“Removing these non-partisan watchdogs without providing a substantive and non-political reason is not lawful and undermines their independence, jeopardizing their critical mission to identify and root out waste, fraud, and abuse within federal programs,” the 38 Democratic Senators, led by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) wrote in a 5-page Friday letter to Trump.

The lawmakers said that Congress did not receive the 30-day notice or the reason for the IG’s removals which took place at over a dozen agencies.

“Because your actions violated the law, these Inspectors General should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing ‘the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired,” the upper-chamber legislators wrote.

Trump directed the firing of a flurry of IG in at least 18 offices across the federal government, including within the Department of Defense (DOD), the State Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Energy Department, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and others.

The removal of IGs sparked backlash not just among Democrats, but also questions about the development came from some Republicans, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Senate Judiciary Committee sent a bipartisan letter to Trump on Tuesday demanding answers about the firings and reiterating that the president did not give a 30-day notice before following through on the removals.

“He is the executive of the executive branch, and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week.

IGs provide oversight of the agencies and are a way for whistleblowers to come forward and report wrongdoing on a range of issues, including fraud, waste and others. Those watchdogs can serve in multiple administrations.

“Without strong, qualified and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked,” Senate Democrats wrote in the Friday letter.

The president's administration has also fired several FBI officials, including those stationed at various offices around the country and those who have worked on his criminal cases, The Hill reported Friday.

The Friday letter was signed by Peters, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.V.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Jacky Rosen (D-N.V.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

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