{"id":24597,"date":"2025-02-13T10:49:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T15:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=24597"},"modified":"2025-02-13T10:49:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T15:49:51","slug":"president-trumps-attack-on-independent-inspectors-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2025\/02\/13\/president-trumps-attack-on-independent-inspectors-general\/","title":{"rendered":"President Trump\u2019s attack on independent Inspectors General"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14711\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/7\/files\/\/2016\/09\/scales_of_justice-300x280-300x280-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"280\" \/>A group of former Inspectors General for eight federal agencies just sued President Trump for illegally firing them.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fnews%2F2025%2F01%2F25%2Fdonald-trump-inspectors-general-firing-00200611&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839230289%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Hebd7m7%2FcaWaOt6lTAQqQgwvX%2Bc51DEF7fJ%2Bd7qG%2BZ8%3D&amp;reserved=0\">fired about 17 independent Inspectors General<\/a> <em>en masse<\/em> in a two-sentence email released Friday night, January 24<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 including the Inspectors General for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Interior. This week, President Trump also fired the USAID Inspector General. Inspectors General are nonpartisan, and many of the 18 who have been fired were appointed by President Trump during his first term.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.edf.org%2FAssetLink%2Fn6np3pkv351pi5t68d0624rh2pncw03l.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839245959%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=S5qpxrqleQk%2FOd%2B%2F6bwOJvv4XyjrLRhpQptFKV97N2w%3D&amp;reserved=0\">the new lawsuit<\/a>, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, eight of the fired Inspectors General \u2013 for the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, State, Education, Agriculture, and Labor, and the Small Business Administration \u2013 point out that President Trump violated the law by failing to provide 30 days\u2019 notice to Congress and failing to provide the statutorily required explanation for the dismissals.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Inspector General Act on 1978, the president must provide Congress advance notice and explanation in order to remove an inspector general. Just days after the mass firings, the Congressional Research Service updated its <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcrsreports.congress.gov%2Fproduct%2Fpdf%2FIF%2FIF11546&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839256597%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=e6Lk%2BS2W7%2FzvoP%2BTq7MnrYChvkX%2BRw2i6JtmhNZqBlk%3D&amp;reserved=0\">report on Removal of Inspectors General<\/a> to state, \u201cIt is not yet clear how President Trump\u2019s action on January 26, 2025, will ultimately be resolved,\u201d and that \u201cit does not appear that the Administration followed the congressional notice and waiting period requirements laid out in the IG Act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples of why President Trump\u2019s purge of our national Inspectors General, and this lawsuit challenging it, are so important.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspectors General play an essential role in illuminating government fraud and wrongdoing <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Inspectors General play a key role in ensuring accountability within federal agencies, including ensuring that those agencies ensure transparency and follow proper processes.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, during the first Trump Administration, the EPA Inspector General investigated and uncovered numerous legal and process violations at the agency, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An improper rollback of air pollution standards for cars and trucks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>An audit completed in 2021 by EPA\u2019s Inspector General confirmed that the first Trump administration violated transparency, record-keeping, and other procedural requirements while rolling back federal Clean Air Act standards to limit air pollution from vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epaoig.gov%2Freports%2Faudit%2Fconcerns-about-process-used-safe-vehicles-rule-demonstrate-need-policy-epas-role&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839267424%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=BVTFkAFQ9Z3I4EHGodnH5r3C53fEziGGk8z11FMyTHU%3D&amp;reserved=0\">EPA Inspector General\u2019s report<\/a> documented EPA\u2019s failure to conduct technical analyses, follow established processes, and provide transparency in its actions and assumptions. <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epaoig.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Freports%2F2024-04%2F_epaoig_20210420-21-e-0125.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839280174%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=pP6Xj%2FeKhu2z0Njc8kJRLD96PQRFQkHoNe2R%2Fe%2F7wZ0%3D&amp;reserved=0\">The report<\/a> also stated that \u201cEPA did not follow its established process for developing regulatory actions,\u201d including a failure to \u201cconduct analysis related to executive orders on the impacts of modified GHG standards on vulnerable populations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That audit was prompted in part by a <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epw.senate.gov%2Fpublic%2Findex.cfm%2F2020%2F7%2Fcarper-statement-on-epa-ig-announcement-of-its-investigation-into-the-safe-vehicles-rule&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839291258%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=tgjeuZJeRAgG%2FmgmfEGrK8R4mf57OicmMuDI5SjuI%2BU%3D&amp;reserved=0\">request from Senator Carper<\/a>, demonstrating that Inspectors General can play an important role in investigating concerns identified by Members of Congress.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A flawed and dangerous lead-based paint strategy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 2019, EPA\u2019s Inspector General found that the first Trump administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edf.org%2Fmedia%2Fepa-inspector-general-faults-agency-ineffective-action-lead-based-paint-rule&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839301649%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CTOdecEquJjKrQCUqESSrlUBWhJIoKbAm%2BOayW8MvlY%3D&amp;reserved=0\">lead-based paint<\/a> strategy focused on shallow public relations efforts rather than actually protecting children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epaoig.gov%2Freports%2Faudit%2Fepa-not-effectively-implementing-lead-based-paint-renovation-repair-and-painting-rule&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839312026%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6b%2Bh8XdvLHjqqCk7no6zM2HjHOnPYQ0ll62o0hyq8A8%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Inspector General\u2019s report<\/a> described EPA\u2019s failure to effectively implement and enforce the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. That rule was designed to protect children from dust or chips of lead-based paint. Lead poisoning causes serious health problems, particularly for children\u2019s brain development, and there is no safe level of exposure. In 1978, the U.S. banned lead-based paint for residential use, but the paint is still commonly found in houses built before 1978.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epaoig.gov%2Freports%2Faudit%2Fepa-not-effectively-implementing-lead-based-paint-renovation-repair-and-painting-rule&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839322417%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rcu%2Bi%2FhbxsqXSgHp7k%2BZmvwUO71swfT6ODiyuP1EtiM%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Inspector General\u2019s report<\/a> found that EPA\u2019s program lacked sufficient \u201cobjectives, goals and measurable outcomes to track progress and determine accountability,\u201d and that \u201c[e]ffective oversight and enforcement are needed to further reduce lead exposures from renovation, repair and painting activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>More legal loopholes and scandals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>During the first Trump administration, the EPA Inspector General helped create accountability for the agency\u2019s unlawful attempts to create a loophole for <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edf.org%2Fmedia%2Fnew-report-finds-trump-epa-failed-follow-law-consider-childrens-health-proposed-loophole&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839332840%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=vmC51PDVndBCN9l8vbdyxVhwHTNnhGvIkjWl%2B2%2BtPuw%3D&amp;reserved=0\">super-polluting glider trucks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA Inspector General also scrutinized Administrator Scott Pruitt\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.edf.org%2Fheres-how-pruitts-ethics-keep-coming-question&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csstein%40edf.org%7C2b044fd3a23a43b580b508dd4bb08c6a%7Cfe4574edbcfd4bf0bde843713c3f434f%7C0%7C0%7C638749943839342983%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=w52tEf38MZ03wunaDOttmxt0J4c3%2FW5CuUjNsQC%2FxQs%3D&amp;reserved=0\">many scandals<\/a>, including spending taxpayer money on lavish travel and a $43,000 phone booth. These episodes illustrate the unique and crucial role that Inspectors General play in protecting the public from government corruption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A group of former Inspectors General for eight federal agencies just sued President Trump for illegally firing them. President Trump fired about 17 independent Inspectors General en masse in a two-sentence email released Friday night, January 24th \u2013 including the Inspectors General for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Interior. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":125337,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,44],"tags":[],"coauthors":[108066],"class_list":["post-24597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>President Trump\u2019s attack on independent Inspectors General - Climate 411<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2025\/02\/13\/president-trumps-attack-on-independent-inspectors-general\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Trump\u2019s attack on independent Inspectors General - Climate 411\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A group of former Inspectors General for eight federal agencies just sued President Trump for illegally firing them. 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