Trump removes independent watchdog for coronavirus funds, upending oversight panel

[homersapien 11,450]

The move comes as Trump makes a broad push against inspectors general scrutinizing his actions.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/07/trump-removes-independent-watchdog-for-coronavirus-funds-upending-oversight-panel-171943

Trump has also begun sharply attacking Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm, following a report from her office that described widespread testing delays and supply issues at the nation’s hospitals.

“Another Fake Dossier!” Trump tweeted, mentioning Grimm’s tenure as inspector general during the Obama administration. He didn’t mention, though, that Grimm has been serving as a federal watchdog since 1999, spanning administrations of both parties.

[IronMan70 3,277]

............and ?

[I_M4_AU 8,003]

 

Here you go Homer, Barr discusses why Trump fired the IG in this case, among other things.  The IG refused to follow the Department of Justice’s written interpretation of whistleblowers.  Pretty simple.

The coverage of the IG starts around the 3:00 minute mark, if you don’t want to listen to the rest.

[homersapien 11,450]

Bill B

2 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

 

Here you go Homer, Barr discusses why Trump fired the IG in this case, among other things.  The IG refused to follow the Department of Justice’s written interpretation of whistleblowers.  Pretty simple.

The coverage of the IG starts around the 3:00 minute mark, if you don’t want to listen to the rest.

Barr is in totally in the tank for Trump.  There is nothing Trump could do that Bill Barr wouldn't support.  Barr also believes in a radical interpretation of executive privilege - he feels the POTUS should be equivalent to a king.

Atkinson was fired for the exact same reason Sessions was fired as AG.  He did his job instead of deferring to what the administration wanted him to do.

 

So tell me what you think about Trump's comments on Grimm's report.

"Another Fake Dossier" or the uncomfortable truth Trump refuses to accept?

[I_M4_AU 8,003]

8 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Bill B

Barr is in totally in the tank for Trump.  There is nothing Trump could do that Bill Barr wouldn't support.  Barr also believes in a radical interpretation of executive privilege - he feels the POTUS should be equivalent to a king.

Atkinson was fired for the exact same reason Sessions was fired as AG.  He did his job instead of deferring to what the administration wanted him to do.

 

So tell me what you think about Trump's comments on Grimm's report.

"Another Fake Dossier" or the uncomfortable truth Trump refuses to accept?

It would seem the existence of a written letter to the IG would be easy to Fact Check, yet nothing.  You are entitled to your opinion.

[homersapien 11,450]

51 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

It would seem the existence of a written letter to the IG would be easy to Fact Check, yet nothing.  You are entitled to your opinion.

That's your job. 

And I am not saying it doesn't exist,  I am saying it's an inadequate excuse proffered by Barr in order to obfuscate the real reason he was fired.

 

And you didn't respond to my question re Trump dismissing Grimm's report. (I suppose you overlooked it.)

He'll be the next to go. 

 

[homersapien 11,450]

Bipartisan group of senators demands Trump explain intel IG firing

The letter, signed by eight senators, represents Congress’ clearest denunciation yet of the decision to sack the intelligence community inspector general.

A bipartisan group of senators is demanding that President Donald Trump explain why he fired the intelligence community’s top watchdog, writing in a letter late Wednesday that the president’s stated reasoning was “not sufficient.”

The letter, signed by eight senators from both parties, represents Congress’ clearest denunciation yet of Trump’s decision to sack Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general.

“Congressional intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the statute,” the lawmakers, led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), wrote in the letter to Trump.

The senators cited a 2008 law mandating that the president provide Congress with a detailed explanation of his decision to fire Atkinson, who defied Trump last year when he turned over to lawmakers a whistleblower complaint that led to the president’s impeachment.

Last weekend, Trump defended the firing of Atkinson, calling him a “total disgrace” over his handling of the whistleblower complaint, which detailed Trump’s conversations with Ukraine’s president. Atkinson was required by law to transmit the complaint to the House and Senate intelligence committees.

In his letter informing lawmakers of Atkinson’s termination, Trump said only that he had lost confidence in Atkinson. That wasn’t enough for the senators.

“As supporters of the Inspector General community, and as advocates for government transparency and accountability, it is our responsibility to confirm that there are clear, substantial reasons for removal,” the senators wrote, asking for an explanation no later than April 13 and citing a 2008 Senate report about ensuring that watchdogs “are not removed for political reasons.”

The lawmakers also accused Trump of going around Congress when he placed Atkinson on administrative leave when he fired him, effectively sidestepping the mandatory 30-day notice to the congressional intelligence panels.

“By placing the IG on 30 days of administrative leave and naming an acting replacement, the administration has already effectively removed that IG and appears to have circumvented Congress’s role in this process,” the senators wrote.

They added that the purpose of the 30-day requirement was “to provide an opportunity for an appropriate dialogue with Congress in the event that the planned transfer or removal is viewed as an inappropriate or politically motivated attempt to terminate an effective inspector general.”

Democrats have condemned the firing as a dangerous abuse of power and act of political retribution, while some Republicans have criticized the move as unwarranted.

Trump has adopted an aggressive posture toward inspectors general, most recently criticizing the Health and Human Services Department’s watchdog over a report that revealed medical supply shortages and coronavirus testing issues across the country. The president also removed the acting Pentagon inspector general, Glenn Fine, from his post shortly after he was named to lead a watchdog panel overseeing implementation of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package that Congress approved last month.

In their Wednesday letter, the senators said inspectors general should “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.”

In addition to Grassley, two Republicans signed the Wednesday letter: Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah, who both criticized Trump’s posture toward Ukraine. Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict the president in his impeachment trial.

The Democratic signers were Gary Peters of Michigan, Mark Warner of Virginia, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Dianne Feinstein of California and Jon Tester of Montana.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/08/senate-trump-inspector-general-176407

[I_M4_AU 8,003]

1 hour ago, homersapien said:

He'll be the next to go

If Trump deems it necessary, that would be his right.

[homersapien 11,450]

28 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

If Trump deems it necessary, that would be his right.

You would be well advised to describe Trump's "rights" as more of a "duty".

The former's all about him, the latter is about serving the country.........oh wait, I guess you got it right in the first place.