<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9294913" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christi-grimm">Christi Grimm</keyword>, the former acting <keyword id="82806" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inspector-General">inspector general</keyword> (IG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (<keyword id="333946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="HHS">HHS</keyword>), spoke out Tuesday about the importance of independence for the US <keyword id="521976" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="oversight">oversight</keyword> community.</li><li>Grimm angered President Donald Trump when she released an independent report that found there were "severe" and "widespread" shortages of masks and other critical supplies across the US in the wake of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> outbreak.</li><li>Trump suggested Grimm's report was politically motivated and replaced her shortly after.</li><li>"I view, and the community views, independence and effectiveness of an IG as a key safeguard for the programs that we oversee," Grimm said Tuesday while testifying before the <keyword id="192156" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="House-oversight-committee">House Oversight Committee</keyword>.</li><li>"We follow the facts wherever they lead, we are impartial in what we do, and really anything that is done that could impair independence, I think, compromises the effectiveness of oversight of programs that are there to serve the American public." she added.</li></ul>Christi Grimm, the former acting inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), spoke out Tuesday about the importance of the independence of the US oversight community.Grimm served as the HHS acting IG until May 2, when President Donald Trump announced he would replace her with Jason Weida, an assistant US attorney in Boston following a slew of public attacks against her.During a briefing Tuesday before the House Oversight Committee, Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia asked Grimm whether she was "concerned professionally that the independence of IGs or your own independence are at risk, or might be compromised, by recent statements and actions taken by the executive.""Chairman Connelly, I would like to address your question by just talking about the importance of independence for inspectors general, generally," Grimm said. "I view, and the community views, independence and effectiveness of an IG as a key safeguard for the programs that we oversee. It's a cornerstone of the <a href="https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/igactasof1010(1).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IG Act</a> and it's a foundational element of the work of any IG."She added that this independence "allows us to bring our objective judgment to bear on problems without worrying about whether those that run the programs are hearing what they want to hear, or what they want to see the programs be doing.""We follow the facts wherever they lead, we are impartial in what we do, and really anything that is done that could impair independence, I think, compromises the effectiveness of oversight of programs that are there to serve the American public — in our case the 300 programs within HHS," Grimm said.Grimm angered Trump after she released a report in March that said there were "severe shortages" of testing kits in the US, "widespread shortages" of masks and other personal protective equipment at hospitals across the country, and significant delays in getting coronavirus test results. The deficits hampered the US's ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak and curb its spread, the report found.Trump tore into Grimm during an April 6 <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> conference and accused her findings of being politically motivated."Where did he come from, the inspector general? What's his name?" Trump said when asked about the HHS report.He later attacked Grimm on Twitter as well, writing, "Why didn't the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. &amp; others in charge, before doing her report."(Grimm joined the inspector general's office in 1999 during the Clinton administration and served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. She was not a political appointee.)Grimm is one of four inspectors general Trump has pushed out in recent weeks.On April 3, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-fires-intelligence-official-who-handled-whistleblower-complaint-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired Michael Atkinson</a>, the intelligence community's inspector general who provoked Trump's ire when he alerted Congress about an anonymous whistleblower complaint accusing Trump of trying to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 US presidential election.The whistleblower complaint became the catalyst for Trump's impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of both charges earlier this year.On April 7, Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ousts-acting-pentagon-watchdog-overseeing-coronavirus-stimulus-package-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abruptly removed the Pentagon's acting watchdog</a>, Glenn Fine, who had also been tapped to oversee the execution of the $2 trillion package Congress passed for coronavirus relief.And on May 15, the president fired the State Department inspector general, Steve Linick.Reports in the days after indicated that at the time of his firing, Linick was said to be investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-linick-fired-pompeo-ordered-staff-to-walk-dog-report-2020-5">made a staffer walk his dog</a> and pick up his dry cleaning.The Washington Post later reported that Linick was also investigating Pompeo's decision to expedite an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia last May. The Trump administration circumvented congressional authority on the matter at the time by citing heightened tensions with Iran.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hhs-christi-grimm-testifies-at-house-oversight-hearing-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

'We follow the facts wherever they lead': Inspector general who was demoted after Trump attacked her speaks out on the importance of independent oversight

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Secretary of State <keyword id="3109665" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Pompeo">Mike Pompeo</keyword> refused to say why he asked President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> to fire the <keyword id="170490" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="State-Department">State Department</keyword> <keyword id="82806" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inspector-General">inspector general</keyword>, <keyword id="9231905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Steve-Linick">Steve Linick</keyword>.</li><li>"Unlike others, I don't talk about personnel matters, I don't leak to y'all," Pompeo told reporters during a <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> conference on Wednesday, adding that accusations that he retaliated against Linick are "patently false." </li><li>At the time of his firing, Linick was conducting or was close to finishing at least three reported investigations into Pompeo or those close to him.</li></ul>Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to say why he asked President Donald Trump to fire the State Department inspector general, Steve Linick."Unlike others, I don't talk about personnel matters, I don't leak to y'all," Pompeo told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday. "I can't talk, I can't give you specificity. We'll share with the appropriate people the rationale." At the time of his firing, Linick was conducting or was close to finishing at least three reported investigations into Pompeo or those close to him.<ul><li>Linick was said to be investigating whether Pompeo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-linick-fired-pompeo-ordered-staff-to-walk-dog-report-2020-5">made a staffer walk his dog</a> and pick up his dry cleaning — inappropriately using taxpayer funds to run personal errands.</li><li>The Washington Post <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watchdog-trump-fired-investigating-decision-to-expedite-saudi-arms-sale-2020-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Monday that Linick was also probing Pompeo's decision to fast-track an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia last May. The Trump administration circumvented congressional authority on the matter at the time by citing heightened tensions with Iran.</li><li>Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/20/fired-state-department-watchdog-was-probing-protocol-office-270660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Linick had also recently finished an investigation that found Cam Henderson, a top Pompeo aide who leads the department's Office of Protocol, had failed to report workplace violence.</li></ul>On Wednesday, Pompeo called allegations that he retaliated against Linick "patently false" and said he "couldn't possibly have retaliated" against the former watchdog because he didn't know what his office was investigating. And the secretary dismissed reporting about investigations into him and his staff, calling them "crazy."Linick is the fourth inspector general Trump has pushed out, and his firing sparked outrage among veterans of the oversight and intelligence communities.On April 3, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-fires-intelligence-official-who-handled-whistleblower-complaint-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired Michael Atkinson</a>, the intelligence community's inspector general who provoked Trump's ire when he alerted Congress about an anonymous whistleblower complaint accusing Trump of trying to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 US presidential election.The whistleblower complaint became the catalyst for Trump's impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of both charges earlier this year.On April 7, Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ousts-acting-pentagon-watchdog-overseeing-coronavirus-stimulus-package-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abruptly removed the Pentagon's acting watchdog</a>, Glenn Fine, who had also been tapped to oversee the execution of the $2 trillion package Congress passed for coronavirus relief.On May 2, Trump announced he would replace Christi Grimm, the acting Department of Health and Human Services inspector general, with Jason Weida, an assistant US attorney in Boston.Grimm angered Trump after she released a report in March that said there were "severe shortages" of testing kits in the US, "widespread shortages" of masks and other personal protective equipment at hospitals across the country, and significant delays in getting coronavirus test results. The deficits hampered the US's ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak and curb its spread, the report found.Trump tore into Grimm during an April 6 news conference and accused her findings of being politically motivated."Where did he come from, the inspector general? What's his name?" Trump said when asked about the HHS report.He later attacked Grimm on Twitter as well, writing, "Why didn't the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. &amp; others in charge, before doing her report."(Grimm joined the inspector general's office in 1999 during the Clinton administration and served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. She was not a political appointee.)Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pompeo-wont-say-why-state-department-ig-fired-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refuses to say why he asked for the inspector general investigating him to be fired

<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Friday, President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> continued his purge of the US's <keyword id="521976" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="oversight">oversight</keyword> community by ousting the State Department <keyword id="82806" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inspector-General">inspector general</keyword>, <keyword id="9231905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Steve-Linick">Steve Linick</keyword>.</li><li>Linick is the fourth inspector general that Trump has forced out. He also ousted the intelligence community inspector general and the acting watchdogs of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Pentagon.</li><li>Veterans of the oversight community say Trump's firing spree is another indication that he believes government officials owe him personal loyalty above all else.</li><li>Michael Bromwich, the former Justice Department inspector general, described Trump's actions as "Friday night massacres."</li><li>"The president is really saying to the Congress, 'You can't put somebody in the executive branch who I can't completely control and will tell you anything that I don't want you to know about,'" said the former inspector general of the National Security Agency.</li></ul>On Friday, President Donald Trump carried out the latest move in his ongoing purge of the US's oversight community by ousting State Department inspector general (IG) Steve Linick.In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing Linick's dismissal, Trump stressed that he has "the power of appointment" when it comes to IGs and said he "no longer" had full confidence in Linick.At the time of his firing, Linick was reportedly investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-linick-fired-pompeo-ordered-staff-to-walk-dog-report-2020-5">made a staffer walk his dog</a> and pick up his dry cleaning.And on Monday, The Washington Post reported that Linick was also investigating Pompeo's decision to expedite an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia last May. The Trump administration circumvented congressional authority on the matter at the time by citing heightened tensions with Iran.House Democrats are looking into whether the investigations played a role in Linick's ouster, but have not concluded if one inquiry played a bigger factor than the other, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/politics/state-department-inspector-general-investigating-pompeo-saudi-arms-deal/index.html">CNN reported</a>. The firing also raised questions as to whether Pompeo has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/17/us/politics/pompeo-inspector-general-steve-linick.html">improperly used taxpayer funds.</a>The Inspector General Act of 1978 established federal inspectors general as permanent offices in dozens of federal government agencies. Federal inspectors general are independent and nonpartisan officers, assisting Congress in oversight of the executive branch. Simply put, they're government watchdogs.They're authorized to "combat waste, fraud, and abuse within their affiliated federal entities," according to t<a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43814.pdf">he Congressional Research Service</a>, and provide findings and recommendations that "may save the government millions of dollars per year."There are 74 inspectors general across the federal government. Many inspectors general are appointed by the president and require Senate confirmation, but some are also appointed by the heads of their affiliated federal entities.<h2>Trump has turned the government into a 'hub of cronies and ideological zealots'</h2>Linick is the fourth IG Trump has pushed out, and his firing sparked outrage among veterans of the oversight and intelligence community."Trump demands loyalty, which means no criticism is allowed and covering up waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct is required," <a href="https://twitter.com/mrbromwich/status/1261699156218970112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Michael Bromwich, the former Justice Department inspector general. "Airing such matters is the legal job description of IGs. At the first sign the work of IGs affects him, he fires them. He is dismantling the IG system."Bromwich also later referred to Trump's history of sidelining officials who investigate or speak out against him as "<a href="https://twitter.com/mrbromwich/status/1261850417983561730" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday night massacres</a>."Sheri Berman, a professor of political science at Barnard College, also told Insider that Trump's attacks on inspectors general will increase "incentives for corruption" and result in a decline of "democratic resilience."Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a New York University historian and expert on authoritarianism, echoed that view and told Insider that Trump has turned the federal government "into a hub of cronies and ideological zealots."She added that his actions resemble those of autocratic leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán."Authoritarian governance is all about avoiding accountability and removing anyone who thinks differently," Ben-Ghiat said. "Trump's firing of officials tasked with oversight is consistent with the purges enacted by Orbán, Erdogan, and other authoritarian leaders, although the penalties for the purges vary widely."<h2>Former IG: Trump's firing spree shows he values 'personal loyalty' above all else</h2>On April 3, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-fires-intelligence-official-who-handled-whistleblower-complaint-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired Michael Atkinson</a>, the intelligence community inspector general who provoked Trump's ire when he alerted Congress about an anonymous whistleblower's complaint accusing Trump of trying to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 election.The whistleblower complaint became the catalyst for the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry, after which Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of both charges earlier this year.On April 7, Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ousts-acting-pentagon-watchdog-overseeing-coronavirus-stimulus-package-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abruptly removed the Pentagon's acting watchdog</a>, Glenn Fine, who had also been tapped to oversee the execution of the $2 trillion stimulus package Congress had passed for coronavirus relief.On May 2, Trump announced he would replace Christi Grimm, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acting inspector general with Jason Weida, an assistant US attorney in Boston.Grimm angered Trump after she released a report in March that said there were "severe shortages" of testing kits in the US, "widespread shortages" of masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) at hospitals across the country, and significant delays in getting coronavirus results. The deficits hampered the US's ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak and curb its spread, the report found.Trump tore into Grimm during an April 6 <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> conference and accused her findings of being politically motivated."Where did he come from, the inspector general? What's his name?" Trump said when asked about the HHS report.He later attacked Grimm on Twitter as well, writing, "Why didn't the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. &amp; others in charge, before doing her report."(Grimm joined the inspector general's office in 1999 during the Clinton administration and has served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. She is not a political appointee.)Joel Brenner, who served as the National Security Agency's (NSA) IG under President George W. Bush's administration, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AViN0vqcIsw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told MSNBC</a> that Trump's firing spree is another indication that he believes officials owe him "personal loyalty" above all else."It's not only that, in each of these cases, the inspector general has done exactly what he or she was supposed to do, which was to serve in a nonpartisan way and to report honestly about shenanigans going on in the executive branch," Brenner said. "The president is not just attacking several IGs, he's attacking the entire institution of inspectors general.""He's attacking the idea that the Congress has the power, under Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution, to enact laws necessary and proper, to see that the laws are carried out," Brenner added. "What the president obviously believes, and has said on other occasions, is that everybody in the government owes him personal loyalty. And the president is really saying to the Congress, 'You can't put somebody in the executive branch who I can't completely control and will tell you anything that I don't want you to know about.'"Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-purge-steve-linick-oversight-community-personal-loyalty-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

'Friday night massacres': Trump's purge of the US oversight community is another reminder that he believes officials owe him personal loyalty above all else

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="4320611" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Glenn-Fine">Glenn Fine</keyword>, the <keyword id="6362444" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="pentagon">Pentagon</keyword>'s principal deputy <keyword id="82806" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inspector-General">inspector general</keyword>, abruptly resigned from his post on Tuesday, CNN reported.</li><li>President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> ousted him as the Pentagon's acting watchdog in early April, and Fine returned to his previous position.</li><li>As a result of the move, Fine was also removed as chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is overseeing the disbursal of the government's $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package.</li><li>Trump has ousted four inspectors general in the past two months, in the intelligence community and at the departments of State, Defense, and Health and Human Services.</li></ul>Glenn Fine, the principal deputy inspector general at the Department of Defense, abruptly resigned from his post on Tuesday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/politics/glenn-fine-pentagon-resigns/index.html">reported</a>.The <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> comes after President Donald Trump ousted Fine in April as the Pentagon's acting inspector general. As a result, Fine was also removed as head of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is charged with overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package.Fine's removal was one in a series of what's been dubbed "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/16/trumps-slow-moving-friday-night-massacre-inspectors-general/">Friday night massacres</a>" — firing of officials typically announced by the Trump administration late on Friday evenings to minimize their media impact. Fine was picked to chair the committee in late March, but he was no longer able to lead the panel after being removed as acting inspector general.Amid the shake-up at the Pentagon, Fine returned to his previous role as the principal deputy inspector general."It has been an honor to serve in the Inspector General community," he wrote in his resignation letter, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/politics/glenn-fine-pentagon-resigns/index.html">CNN</a>. "The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government. They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way.""They are a vital component of our system of checks and balances, and I am grateful to have been part of that system," he said."After many years in the DoJ and DoD OIGs, I believe the time has come for me to step down and allow others to perform this vital role. I wish the men and women of the DoD OIG and the Inspector General Community continued success in these important responsibilities."Fine has been serving at the Department of Defense since January 2016. He will officially step down from his post on June 1, becoming the latest watchdog to leave the administration. A defense official told CNN that Fine was not directed to resign, revealing that his decision to leave was his own.On April 3, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-fires-intelligence-official-who-handled-whistleblower-complaint-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired Michael Atkinson</a>, the intelligence community's inspector general who drew Trump's ire when he alerted Congress to an anonymous whistleblower complaint accusing Trump of trying to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 US presidential election.The whistleblower complaint became the catalyst for Trump's impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump of both charges earlier this year.On April 7, Trump removed Fine from his role as acting inspector general.One month later, on May 2, the president moved to replace Christi Grimm, the Department of Health and Human Services acting inspector general.Grimm angered Trump after she released a report in March that said there were "severe shortages" of testing kits in the US, "widespread shortages" of masks and other personal protective equipment at hospitals across the country, as well as significant delays in getting coronavirus test results. The deficits hampered the US's ability to respond effectively to the coronavirus outbreak and curb its spread, the report found.And on May 15, the president fired the State Department inspector general, Steve Linick.Reports in the days immediately following his firing indicated that at the time of his ouster, Linick was investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-linick-fired-pompeo-ordered-staff-to-walk-dog-report-2020-5">made a staffer walk his dog</a> and carry out other personal errands.The Washington Post later reported that Linick was also investigating Pompeo's decision to expedite an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia last May. The Trump administration circumvented congressional authority on the matter at the time by citing heightened tensions with Iran.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-fine-pentagon-watchdog-sidelined-by-trump-resigns-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Pentagon watchdog who was demoted as part of Trump's oversight purge abruptly resigns

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e8bb21892e8ba7f7743afc2-2100/screen shot 2020-04-06 at 34909 pm.png" alt="Screen Shot 2020 04 06 at 3.49.09 PM" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>President Donald Trump got into a brief verbal spat with ABC News' chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl during a press conference on Monday.</li><li>Karl, who recently published a White House tell-all, told Trump that the inspector general from the Department of Health and Human Services served during President Barack Obama's administration.</li><li>Trump equated that official's tenure as one that was allegedly mired in partisanship: "You mean the Obama administration," Trump mocked. "Thank you for telling me that. So there's the typical fake-news deal."</li><li>"Look, you're a third-rate reporter," Trump eventually said to Karl. "And what you just said is a disgrace, ok?"</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>President Donald Trump got into a brief verbal spat with ABC News' chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl during a press conference on Monday afternoon, and resorted to calling the reporter someone who "will never make it."Trump, who was responding to questions about his administration's coronavirus response in the Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House, discussed a Department of Health and Human Services inspector general <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/government-watchdog-hospitals-face-severe-shortages-medical-gear-confusing-guidance-n1177256">report</a> warning of severe shortages of supplies for hospitals in the US - including testing kits and safety gear for physicians.Trump downplayed the warnings in the report and said the country was doing an "incredible job" in addressing testing shortages. Trump claimed that the federal government should not be responsible for medical necessities, such as coronavirus testing, provided in local hospitals."States are supposed to be doing testing. Hospitals are supposed to be doing testing," Trump said. "We're the federal government. We're not supposed to be standing on street corners doing testing. They go to doctors. They go to hospitals."Assistant secretary for health Adm. Brett Giroir offered a few remarks and questioned whether the OIG's release of the report on Monday was prudent. "I don't know the inspector general. I don't know that person," Giroir said. "I'll tell you one thing I have a problem with - If there was such a problem ... why did I find out about the test from them on the news media at 8'oclock this morning?""But that's a discussion for the future," he added.The <a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/about-oig/about-us/leadership.asp">Office of the Inspector General at HHS</a> is led by Christi Grimm, who assumed her position in January 2020. She has decades of experience with the Office of the Inspector General, dating back to 1999.As Giroir walked away from the lectern, Trump stepped in: "How long has that person been in government," the president said to the group of reporters.ABC's Jonathan Karl, who recently published a White House tell-all, answered that Grimm "did serve in the previous administration.""Oh, you didn't tell me that," Trump said sarcastically. "Oh, I see. You didn't tell me that, John.""You mean the Obama administration," Trump mocked. "Thank you for telling me that. So there's the typical fake-news deal.""I told you when she was appointed," Karl replied."Look, you're a third-rate reporter," Trump said. "And what you just said is a disgrace, ok?""Thank you very much, John," Trump added, appearing to imitate Karl's voice. "You will never make it."Karl's new book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Front-Row-at-Trump-Show/dp/1524745626">Front Row at the Trump Show</a>," was released in March. In it, Karl reveals the inner machinations of the White House, including Trump's behavior and confrontations with his senior staff.Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.

'You will never make it': Trump mocks a reporter after he asked about an inspector general report on hospital shortages

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e8cfd2f73d0c87f0c046516-2400/trumpcoronavirusbriefing.jpg" alt="Donald Trump coronavirus briefing" /><a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2020%3Anewsml_RC2AZF9VGAHH%3A720261806&amp;search=all%3ATrump%20coronavirus">REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque</a>U.S. President Donald Trump responds to a question about the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General's report on the shortage of novel coronavirus tests for hospitals during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 6, 2020.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump is using the fog of the coronavirus pandemic to wage an all-out assault on oversight, consolidate his own power, and send a message to his base that they're right to believe he's infallible.</li><li>He just fired the newly-appointed lead inspector general overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus aid bill, as weel as the intelligence community's IG last week, and he's attacked the Health and Human Services' IG for releasing a report detailing the perilous state of the US' hospitals.</li><li>Trump has encouraged his base to believe he's infallible, and his base has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cpac-2020-trump-worship-hating-socialism-bullied-victim-left-2020-2">largely bought-in</a>. So it's not surprising to see Trump go headlong at the institutions who hold the government accountable.</li><li>No president should be able to bully the watchdogs into submission. And the public - however much they're overwhelmed with the terror of the current moment - shouldn't stand for it. </li><li>This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Donald Trump isn't about to let a good crisis go to waste. The president is using the fog of the coronavirus pandemic to wage an all-out assault on oversight, consolidate his own power, and send a message to his base that they're right to believe he's infallible.Trump on Monday fired Glenn Fine from his role as the Defense Department's acting inspector general, sending him back to his previous role as principal deputy inspector general. Fine had just last week been selected by a group of fellow IGs to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. The committee was created as part of the recently-passed CARES Act - better known as the coronavirus aid bill - and will oversee where $2 trillion in federal money designated to contain the healthcare and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic ends up. By stripping him of his IG title, Trump made it impossible for him to serve on - much less lead - the important oversight panel. Trump's meddling with the newly-created committee comes after it already took a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/democrats-attack-trillion-coronavirus-stimulus-bill-slush-fund-bailout-corporations-2020-3-1029023211?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">pitched fight by Democrats</a> to even get the administration <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/white-house-oversight-treasury-loan-program-agrees-bailout-coronavirus-economy-2020-3-1029027571">to agree</a> that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shouldn't be the sole watchdog on the historic aid package.With Fine out, the panel will have to select another leader. We don't know why Trump did it, he hasn't given a reason. But according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-watchdog-glenn-fine.html">The New York Times</a>, Fine had a "a reputation for aggression and independence in scrutinizing the F.B.I.'s use of surveillance and other law-enforcement powers."That sends a message to the panel: Make sure your top watchdog isn't too much of a bulldog. The boss doesn't like it. Or, as Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island put it to The Times: "This appears to be part of an alarming trend by the Trump Administration to remove independent inspector generals and replace them with the president's loyalists."<h2>Trump is trying to take out oversight itself</h2>Last Friday, the president fired Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community's inspector general. Atkinson had informed Congress last September of a whistleblower's complaint accusing Trump of soliciting the president of Ukraine's help in digging up dirt on a political rival. Trump was impeached for that phone call. When he survived his Senate trial, Atkinson's fate was sealed. As Atkinson wrote in his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-atkinson-intelligence-community-inspector-general-resignation-letter-2020-4">resignation letter</a>, "it is hard not to think that the President's loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector General."It's hard not to think Atkinson hit the nail on the head. Trump reportedly was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/us/politics/trump-michael-atkinson-inspector-general.html">talking about firing Atkinson</a> as far back as last November. And this is, after all, a president who has publicly talked of putting conditions on governors to act <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-aid-andrew-cuomo-donald-trump-treat-us-well-2020-3">sufficiently nice to him</a> if they want their states to receive desperately-needed federal assistance to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Also this week, Trump has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/04/06/us/politics/ap-us-virus-outbreak-hospitals.html">gone on the attack</a> against Christi Grimm, the Department of Human Health and Services inspector general. She had gotten under Trump's famously thin skin for releasing a report detailing what's painfully obvious to everyone but the most myopic of Trump loyalists: that hospitals are experiencing "severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results limited (their) ability to monitor the health of patients and staff." True to character, Trump immediately suggested a political motive because Grimm had worked in the inspector general's office during the Obama administration. This ignored the fact that Grimm had also worked in the IG's office during the George W. Bush administration and started there during the Clinton administration. Grimm is the definition of a career non-partisan government watchdog. Trump, for his part, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1247545358705664002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1247545358705664002&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2020%2F04%2F07%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-coronavirus-watchdog-glenn-fine.html">tweeted</a> Tuesday that her report was "Another Fake Dossier" - an apparent reference to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steele-dossier-allegations-trump-russia-mueller-investigation-2019-1#whats-been-corroborated-and-what-hasnt-10">Steele dossier</a>, the document produced by a former British spy which contained both salacious and unverified stories about Trump's involvement with the Russian government, but also a substantial amount of verified, damaging information about the dealings of people in Trump's inner orbit. The two reports, obviously, have nothing in common. But Trump knows how to play the hits to his audience.By smearing Grimm's reports "Another Fake Dossier," he's undermining public confidence in the watchdogs who are vital to the public during every administration to keep tabs on what the government is doing. And he's sending a message to his base: inspectors generals are just Deep State leftists out to take down all that is MAGA.The inspectors general of these semi-independent entities serve at the pleasure of the president. He has every right to fire any of them for pretty much any reason. Trump has encouraged his base to believe he's infallible. He wants them to accept the premise that everything from the phone call that got him impeached to his administration's botched reaction to the coming pandemic was <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/trump-coronavirus-testing-as-perfect-as-ukraine-call.html">"perfect</a>." And his base has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cpac-2020-trump-worship-hating-socialism-bullied-victim-left-2020-2">largely bought-in</a>. So it's not surprising to see Trump go headlong at the institutions that exist precisely because no one is infallible, and those who hold tremendous power should never go without vigorous scrutiny. In attacking the people tasked with calling balls and strikes during a pandemic when much of the public is worrying about literal life-and-death issues, Trump is exploiting the crisis for his personal ends. He shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.Trump can't fire all the IGs, and he can't dismantle their offices. But he can sow enough chaos to render them impotent, and he can instill enough fear to keep them cowed when selecting leaders among their ranks. It's a shameful and dangerous game the president is playing. No president should be able to bully the watchdogs into submission. And the public - however much they're overwhelmed with the terror of the current moment - shouldn't stand for it. Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-do-your-own-taxes-for-the-very-first-time-2018-2">Tax Day is now July 15 - this is what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/tgwmPsgy-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

Trump is using the coronavirus as a cover to bully the government's watchdogs into submission. It's shameful and dangerous.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two top Democrats in Congress have announced they will investigate the president's Friday firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick.</li><li>"This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the Secretary of State, from accountability," Rep. Eliot Engel, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. </li><li>Linick, who served in his role since he was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013, was fired after he opened an investigation into Secretary of State <keyword id="3109665" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Pompeo">Mike Pompeo</keyword>, Democrats alleged. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Two top Democrats in Congress have launched an investigation into the Trump administration's firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman announced in a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepEliotEngel/status/1261730985567272961">tweet</a> Saturday.Rep. Eliot Engel, a Democrat from New York who serves as the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, also a Democrat and the party's ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent an order to the White House on Saturday demanding it maintain all records related to Linick's firing and forward them to Congress by May 22."President Trump's unprecedented removal of Inspector General Linick is only his latest sacking of an inspector general, our government's key independent watchdogs, from a federal agency," Engel and Menendez wrote in their joint letter.In a statement Friday evening, Engel said he believed Linick's removal as inspector general had been politically motivated and an "unlawful act of retaliation." "This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the Secretary of State, from accountability," Engel said. "I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr. Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation.He added: "This president believes he is above the law. As he systematically removes the official independent watchdogs from the Executive Branch, the work of the Committee on Foreign Affairs becomes that much more critical. In the days ahead, I will be looking into this matter in greater detail, and I will press the State Department for answers.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inspector-general-steve-linick-ousted-mike-pence-ally-replace-him-2020-5">Linick was fired Friday in a decision that had been recommended by Pompeo</a>, CNN reported. A Democratic congressional aide said that the office of the inspector general had opened an investigation into "<a href="https://twitter.com/joshrogin/status/1261504276272164870">alleged misuse of a political appointee to perform personal tasks for him and Mrs. Pompeo."</a>Linick was appointed to his position in 2013 under President Barack Obama, and played a small role in last year's House impeachment proceedings against Trump, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/15/state-department-inspector-general-fired-261536">according to Politico</a>. Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday informing her that Linick would be removed in 30 days, as is required by law.As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/16/state-department-inspector-general-fired-democrats-decry-dangerous-pattern-retaliation/">The Washington Post</a> reported, Linick's removal comes after <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-replaces-hhs-watchdog-who-found-severe-shortages-at-hospitals-combating-coronavirus/2020/05/02/6e274372-8c87-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html">his ousting of Christi Grimm,</a> the principal deputy inspector general, and of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-atkinson-intelligence-community-inspector-general-resignation-letter-2020-4">General Michael Atkinson, who was responsible for handling the whistleblower complaint</a> that sparked Trump's impeachment trial. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manhattan-district-attorney-drops-high-profile-case-over-coronavirus-2020-5">In a first, Manhattan's district attorney drops high-profile tainted case over coronavirus concerns</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/minimum-wage-change-25-dollars-progressive-entrepreneur-makes-case-economy-2020-5">A progressive entrepreneur makes the case for a $25 minimum wage so workers 'can literally survive'</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-reporter-hounded-at-anti-lockdown-protest-reposted-by-trump-2020-5">Trump tweets video of a reporter being hounded by anti-lockdown protesters, calling them 'great people'</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moncef-slaoui-leading-trump-vaccine-push-10m-holding-moderna-conflict-2020-5">The ex-pharma exec leading Trump's COVID-19 vaccine program has $10 million in stock options for a company getting federal funding</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/engel-menendez-launch-investigation-into-inspector-general-firing-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Democrats are launching an investigation into Trump's firing of the State Department's inspector general

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e8c768dd5873a2c7d529e54-902/gettyimages-1217268598.jpg" alt="Donald Trump" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>President Donald Trump abruptly ousted Glenn Fine, the acting inspector general (IG) at the Department of Defense, on Tuesday, <a href="https://insidedefense.com/insider/trump-orders-dod-watchdog-sidelined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Defense reported</a>.</li><li>A panel of inspectors general had also tapped Fine to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which will oversee the implementation of a $2 million coronavirus stimulus package.</li><li>But Fine will no longer be able to serve in that role because the law only allows for current inspectors general to hold the position.</li><li>Fine will be replaced as the acting Pentagon watchdog by Sean O'Donnell, the inspector general for the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Inside Defense.</li><li>The president has targeted inspectors general across the government in recent days. Last week, he fired the intelligence community IG, and his latest target is the Health and Human Services IG.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>President Donald Trump abruptly ousted Glenn Fine, the acting inspector general at the Department of Defense, on Tuesday, <a href="https://insidedefense.com/insider/trump-orders-dod-watchdog-sidelined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside Defense reported</a>.A panel of inspectors general tapped Fine to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which will oversee the implementation of a $2 million coronavirus stimulus package Trump signed into law on March 27.But the president also removed Fine from that role on Monday. Fine will be replaced as the acting Pentagon watchdog by Sean O'Donnell, the inspector general for the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Inside Defense.Fine will now go back to serving as the principal deputy inspector general while O'Donnell chairs the committee charged with oversight of the stimulus package, the outlet reported.The president has nominated Jason Abend, who serves as a senior policy adviser for US Customs and Border Protection, to be the new Defense Department inspector general.Trump has voiced significant frustration at inspectors general across the federal government in recent days.During Monday's daily coronavirus press briefing, the president attacked a report from the nonpartisan Health and Human Services inspector general's office that found hospitals across the US are facing a severe and potentially dangerous shortage of coronavirus test supplies."Hospitals reported that severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results limited (their) ability to monitor the health of patients and staff," the report said.When a reporter asked Trump about the findings, Trump said, "It is wrong.""So, give me the name of the inspector general?" he asked, and went on to suggest, without evidence, "Could politics be entered into that? When was she appointed?"The president also attacked the HHS inspector general, Christi Grimm, in a tweet Tuesday, writing, "Why didn't the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. &amp; others in charge, before doing her report. Another Fake Dossier!"Last week, Trump ousted the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson, saying Atkinson no longer had his "fullest confidence."Atkinson made headlines last year when it surfaced that he alerted Congress to a whistleblower's complaint against Trump that accused the president of violating campaign finance law and soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election.The complaint later became the catalyst for Trump's impeachment inquiry and trial in the Senate.Atkinson became a target of Trump's ire after it was publicly revealed in September that he informed Congress about the whistleblower's complaint. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/us/politics/trump-michael-atkinson-inspector-general.html">The New York Times reported</a> in November that Trump had repeatedly discussed firing Atkinson because he blamed the official for the impeachment inquiry.According to the report, Trump didn't understand why Atkinson had alerted Congress about the complaint and believed it showed Atkinson was disloyal. The president also attacked Atkinson publicly and in the middle of his impeachment inquiry.In his resignation letter, Atkinson said he was "disappointed and saddened" by Trump's decision to fire him and urged future whistleblowers not to "allow recent events to silence your voices."He also wrote that "it is hard not to think that the President's loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector General, and from my commitment to continue to do so."Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.

You Searched For "christi grimm" and got 8 results

'We follow the facts wherever they lead': Inspector general who was demoted after Trump attacked her speaks out on the importance of independent oversight

Sonam Sheth

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refuses to say why he asked for the inspector general investigating him to be fired

Sonam Sheth,Eliza Relman

'Friday night massacres': Trump's purge of the US oversight community is another reminder that he believes officials owe him personal loyalty above all else

Sonam Sheth,John Haltiwanger

Pentagon watchdog who was demoted as part of Trump's oversight purge abruptly resigns

Ryan Pickrell,Sonam Sheth

'You will never make it': Trump mocks a reporter after he asked about an inspector general report on hospital shortages

David Choi

Trump is using the coronavirus as a cover to bully the government's watchdogs into submission. It's shameful and dangerous.

Anthony L. Fisher

Democrats are launching an investigation into Trump's firing of the State Department's inspector general

Connor Perrett

Trump abruptly ousts the Pentagon's acting watchdog, who was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package

Sonam Sheth