WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has removed the lead watchdog overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus package, just days after the official, Glenn Fine, was appointed to the role.
The move came as Trump pursued similar action in recent weeks against independent inspectors general across the federal government.
Fine had been the acting Pentagon inspector general until Monday afternoon, when Trump abruptly removed him from his post.
“Yesterday, the President nominated Mr. Jason Abend for the position of DoD Inspector General,” said Dwrena Allen, a spokesperson for the Defense Department’s Inspector General, in a statement to CNBC.
“The same day, the President also designated Mr. Sean W. O’Donnell, who is the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General (EPA IG), to serve as the Acting DoD IG in addition to his current duties at the EPA,” Allen said.
“Mr. Fine is no longer on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee,” Allen said, and he now “reverts to his position as the Principal Deputy Inspector General.”
Fine had been chosen March 30 to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee by his fellow inspectors general, who were tasked by the new law to select a chairman for their committee.
By removing Fine from his Pentagon job, Trump effectively eliminated Fine from the oversight committee, since only sitting IGs can serve on the committee. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee is one of several oversight panels in charge of ensuring that the $2 trillion relief and stimulus package is administered responsibly and transparently.
A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to questions from CNBC about Fine’s removal. Representatives for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., likewise did not respond to requests for comment.
One powerful Republican, however, seemed to publicly disagree with Trump’s decision. Senate Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley tweeted Tuesday that the president should view inspectors general as assets who help Trump to hold the federal bureaucracy accountable, and who help the president fulfill his campaign promise to “drain the swamp.”
I encourage Pres Trump 2view IGs as helpers 2hold bureaucracy accountable+draining swamp. We all work to solve problems Esp in unprecedented pandemic, IG reports shld be viewed as a TO DO list & not criticism. Admin is quickly fixing problems that existed going back to Obama/Bush
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Fine’s removal is the latest in a series of actions and statements by the president that reflect his growing frustration overall with independent inspectors general.
Trump is known to respond harshly to any perceived dissent or criticism of his administration. The president often views inspector generals, whose job it is to hold agencies accountable, as critics and roadblocks to achieving his policy and political goals.
On Friday, Trump told Congress he was firing the Intelligence Community’s inspector general, Michael Atkinson.
Atkinson is best known as the inspector general who first alerted Congress last year about the existence of a whistleblower complaint related to the president’s actions towards Ukraine, specifically that the president was abusing the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into helping him win his reelection campaign.
The complaint sparked a series of events and investigations which culminated in Trump’s impeachment.
On Tuesday morning, Trump attacked another inspector general, Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm at the Department of Health and Human Services.
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. & others in charge, before doing her report. Another Fake Dossier!
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Grimm recently released a report showing that many hospitals lack crucial supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including thermometers and surgical masks.
Asked about the report at Monday afternoon’s coronavirus briefing, Trump said “it’s just wrong,” but did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
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