Eight fired government watchdogs sue Trump administration

Eight federal watchdogs ousted by President Trump last month are suing to get their jobs back on the basis that their dismissals were unlawful.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, asserts that Congress was not given proper notice of the removals, nor were adequate explanations for the firings given.

“President Trump’s attempt to eliminate a crucial and longstanding source of impartial, non-partisan oversight of his administration is contrary to the rule of law,” wrote Seth Waxman, a Clinton-era solicitor general representing the inspectors general.

The lawsuit was filed by eight of the 17 fired inspectors general, who monitored various agencies in the federal government.

A 2022 federal law requires presidents to notify Congress at least 30 days in advance of firing an inspector general, in addition to providing “substantiative, case-specific rationale.”

The inspectors general who sued were removed from the Departments of Defense, State, Labor, Education, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services, in addition to the Small Business Administration. Altogether, they oversaw more than $5 trillion of appropriated funds each year and more than 3.5 million federal employees, the lawsuit says.

The ousters were executed last month through brief emails from the Office of Presidential Personnel. Soon after, the watchdogs lost access to government emails and computers, and were physically barred from entering their government offices.

Despite the “obvious illegality” of the firings, the heads of each agency “effectuated and continue to effectuate” the watchdogs’ removals, Waxman said.

Inspectors general are responsible for providing an independent check on agencies and an avenue for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing.

During his first term in office, Trump fired several inspectors general, which spurred an update to the Inspector General Act to require the 30 days’ notice and rationale.

Trump defended the firings last month as a “very common thing to do.”

“Some people thought that some were unfair, some were not doing their job,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The lawsuit follows more than 50 legal challenges to sweeping Trump administration actions meant to reshape the federal government.