Another Friday night, another government watchdog questionably fired at the hands of Donald Trump. This time it was State Department Inspector General Steve Linick late. Democrats say Linick was forced out of his job after launching an investigation into conduct by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Newsweek writes:
Trump confirmed the decision to remove Linick, the latest government watchdog to be fired by the administration in recent months, in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“As is the case with regard to other positions where I, as President, have the power of appointment, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspector General,” Trump wrote. “That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
The late-night, weekend firing of State Department IG Steve Linick is an acceleration of the President’s dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people. https://t.co/VavmuJpX25
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) May 16, 2020
A Democratic congressional aide said Linick had launched an investigation into Pompeo’s alleged misuse of a political appointee to perform personal tasks for him and Mrs. Pompeo. The State Department did not respond to an inquiry about the allegation.
Linick played a minor role in the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings against Trump, ferrying a trove of documents to lawmakers that had been provided to the State Department by Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer.
Fired by Trump:
May 15, 2020
Steve Linick, State Department Inspector GeneralMay 1, 2020
Christi Grimm, HHS Inspector GeneralApril 7, 2020
Glenn Fine, Defense Department Inspector GeneralApril 3, 2020
Michael Atkinson , Intelligence Community Inspector General— David P Gelles (@gelles) May 16, 2020
The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so
without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) May 16, 2020
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