Washington — A coalition of eight former government oversight officials dismissed by President Trump initiated a lawsuit on Wednesday contesting their terminations.
This legal action, taken in a federal district court in Washington, D.C., contends that their dismissals breach federal statutes designed to shield inspectors general from interference in their oversight roles. One such statute, enacted in 2022 with bipartisan backing, mandates that a president must provide Congress with 30 days’ notice before removing an inspector general and must supply a “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” for the dismissal.
The former inspectors general included in the lawsuit previously served in various departments, including Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, State, Education, Agriculture, Labor, and the Small Business Administration. The lawsuit names the president and the leaders of these departments and agencies as defendants.
Inspectors general operate as nonpartisan entities, responsible for auditing and investigating the agencies they oversee to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. Their appointments are usually made without regard to political affiliations and require Senate confirmation.
“President Trump’s effort to dismantle a vital and enduring source of impartial, non-partisan scrutiny of his administration undermines the rule of law,” the petitioners stated in their 32-page lawsuit, labeling the firings as “unlawful and unjustified.”
The watchdogs reported that the agencies revoked their access to government email accounts and computer systems, retrieved their equipment, including government-issued phones, computers, and access badges. They also indicated they were “physically barred” from entering the government buildings where they worked. According to the lawsuit, agency personnel coordinated for the inspectors general to retrieve their personal belongings from their offices.
“These actions effectively rendered it unfeasible for the IGs to carry out their lawful responsibilities,” the lawsuit asserts. “Given that the claimed removals were illegal and hence void, the actions aforementioned constituted unlawful interference with the IGs’ official functions.”
The watchdogs seek a court ruling declaring that their dismissals are null, signifying that they remain duly appointed inspectors general of their respective agencies until the president dismisses them in accordance with federal law.
Mr. Trump terminated the internal government watchdogs on January 24, just four days into his second term. The officials received notification through a brief email from the Office of Presidential Personnel stating that “due to changing priorities your position as inspector general … is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
The president remarked to reporters late last month that the dismissals were “standard” and a “very common thing to do.”
However, the inspectors general contended in their lawsuit that Mr. Trump’s assertions are inaccurate, noting that presidents from both parties— including during his first term— refrained from removing internal watchdogs established by their predecessors.
They further claimed that Mr. Trump has failed to inform Congress of his intentions to remove the inspectors general or provide a “substantive rationale,” as required by law.
“IGs must be watchdogs, not lapdogs,” the lawsuit emphasizes. “The negative repercussions of the Trump administration’s conflicting approach are significant.”
Mr. Trump’s decision to dismiss the officials raised alarms in Congress. Following his actions, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and ranking member Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, sent a letter to the president requesting the legally mandated 30-day notice and justification for their removal.
Grassley sponsored the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022, which outlines the protocols for terminating an inspector general.
“While IGs are not immune from actions requiring their removal, and the president can remove them, the law must be adhered to,” Grassley and Durbin wrote.
They elaborated, “This is a matter of public and congressional accountability, ensuring the public’s trust in the Inspector General community— a sentiment echoed by other members of Congress. IGs are essential in exposing waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within the Executive Branch bureaucracy, which you have publicly expressed intent to address.”
The lawsuit against Mr. Trump’s dismissal of the watchdogs is among more than four dozen filed in courts nationwide against the administration. Several of these legal challenges specifically address the president’s firing of various government officials, including the leaders of the National Labor Relations Board and the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates retaliation against whistleblowers and breaches of the Hatch Act, as well as a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
