berg80
Diamond Member
- Oct 28, 2017
- 14,784
- 12,204
- 2,320
Not violating the letter of the law doesn't mean the spirit of the law was not violated.
"According to public reports, Atkinson was effectively removed from his position prior to the completion of the notice period. And in Trump’s letter informing Congress of his reasoning, he stated only that he had lost confidence in Atkinson. The bipartisan letter responds:
Congressional intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the statute. This is in large part because Congress intended that inspectors general only be removed when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing or failure to perform the duties of the office, and not for reasons unrelated to their performance, to help preserve IG independence."
How to Legally—and Illegally—Fire Inspectors General
What happened when Obama fired an IG?
"It (saying confidence in the IG was lost) is also the precise reason and language that President Barack Obama used in 2009 when he fired Gerald Walpin as inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), though the Obama White House within a week after the termination provided detailed reasons for the firing."
Legal Issues Implicated By Trump’s Firing of the State Department Inspector General
"In fact, Congress so closely guarded the independence of inspectors general that a move by Obama to abruptly oust the AmeriCorps IG in 2009 prompted a five-month investigation by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and then-Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) that resulted in a 62-page report sharply criticizing the decision."
Trump's drive against watchdogs faces constitutional reckoning
Obama removed one IG, explained why in detail, and was investigated for 5 months.
Trump fires 4 IG's for clear reasons of retribution and refuses to explain why (so far).
Is this really what Trump fans voted for? A prez who regards himself to be accountable to no one.
"According to public reports, Atkinson was effectively removed from his position prior to the completion of the notice period. And in Trump’s letter informing Congress of his reasoning, he stated only that he had lost confidence in Atkinson. The bipartisan letter responds:
Congressional intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the statute. This is in large part because Congress intended that inspectors general only be removed when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing or failure to perform the duties of the office, and not for reasons unrelated to their performance, to help preserve IG independence."
How to Legally—and Illegally—Fire Inspectors General
What happened when Obama fired an IG?
"It (saying confidence in the IG was lost) is also the precise reason and language that President Barack Obama used in 2009 when he fired Gerald Walpin as inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), though the Obama White House within a week after the termination provided detailed reasons for the firing."
Legal Issues Implicated By Trump’s Firing of the State Department Inspector General
"In fact, Congress so closely guarded the independence of inspectors general that a move by Obama to abruptly oust the AmeriCorps IG in 2009 prompted a five-month investigation by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and then-Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) that resulted in a 62-page report sharply criticizing the decision."
Trump's drive against watchdogs faces constitutional reckoning
Obama removed one IG, explained why in detail, and was investigated for 5 months.
Trump fires 4 IG's for clear reasons of retribution and refuses to explain why (so far).
Is this really what Trump fans voted for? A prez who regards himself to be accountable to no one.
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