{"id":17952,"date":"2017-09-15T11:36:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-15T16:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=17952"},"modified":"2017-09-15T12:35:09","modified_gmt":"2017-09-15T17:35:09","slug":"new-records-just-released-under-foia-raise-an-important-question-did-the-trump-transition-team-consider-dismissing-epas-inspector-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2017\/09\/15\/new-records-just-released-under-foia-raise-an-important-question-did-the-trump-transition-team-consider-dismissing-epas-inspector-general\/","title":{"rendered":"New records just released under FOIA raise an important question: Did the Trump transition team consider dismissing EPA\u2019s Inspector General?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Recently released documents<\/a> from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that President Trump\u2019s transition team considered \u2014 then decided against \u2014 dismissing EPA\u2019s Inspector General.<\/p>\n

Myron Ebell, who headed the transition at EPA for then-President-Elect Trump, emailed an EPA career staffer on January 13, 2017 that the transition team, \u201cwant[ed] to retain the EPA\u2019s IG for the present.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ebell wanted to relay the information to the Inspector General \u201cwithout any formal communication.\u201d He went on to express a strong preference for delivering the message himself, rather than delegating to EPA career staff.<\/p>\n

These documents were released<\/a> under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.<\/p>\n

Myron Ebell\u2019s stint leading the EPA transition was a brief departure from his usual job at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, where his polluter-funded work<\/a> aims to slash health and environmental protections and spread climate denialism. It is currently unclear why he \u2014 or any member of the Trump transition team \u2014 needed to reach out to EPA\u2019s Inspector General for a conversation about job security.<\/p>\n

Notably, Ebell\u2019s January 13, 2017 email message<\/a> was expressly hedged, indicating only that the Inspector General would be retained \u201cfor the present.\u201d<\/p>\n

For 30 years, dismissing Inspectors General has not<\/em> been a normal part of presidential transitions. Only President Reagan \u2014 the first President to assume office after Congress created Inspectors General \u2014 did so, and he partly backtracked<\/a> under intense political pressure.<\/p>\n

Now, the Trump Administration has taken worrying steps<\/a> toward undermining the integrity of Inspectors General across the federal government.<\/p>\n

Congress created the position of Inspector General at federal agencies in order to conduct audits and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.<\/p>\n

The statute creating the position<\/a> provides that Inspectors General:<\/p>\n

[S]hall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability<\/em> in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations. (emphasis added<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Congress has repeatedly emphasized the need for independent Inspectors General:<\/p>\n