January 24, 2025

Trump fires 17 inspectors general in single week eliminating government oversight

17 independent watchdogs fired in single week, eliminating oversight

📋Public Policy📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government

On January 24, 2025, President Trump dismissed 17 inspectors general in a single Friday night action, the largest mass IG firing in modern U.S. history (Associated Press, NPR, CNN).

Under the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022, presidents must provide Congress 30 days’ advance notice with detailed, case-specific rationale before removing an inspector general, a requirement critics say was not met in the January 24 purge (Reuters, ABC News, Government Executive).

By February 12, 2025, eight of the fired inspectors general had filed suit against the administration, arguing their dismissals violated the 2022 Act’s notice and rationale provisions and constitutional separation-of-powers principles (Wikipedia, Reuters, NPR).

📋Public Policy📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government

Test Your Knowledge

Which day of the week did the mass IG firings occur?

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the firings "possibly in violation of federal law."

What two-word phrase did Trump use to justify the IG firings when speaking to reporters?

How many inspectors general did Trump fire on January 24, 2025?

Which reason did the termination emails cite for the IG firings?

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People, bills, and sources

Sergio Gor (Director, White House Office of Presidential Personnel)

sent the Friday night emails terminating 17 inspectors general effective immediately (CNN, ABC News, Reuters).

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

longtime IG advocate who publicly condemned the lack of 30-day advance notice as required by law (ABC News, Government Executive, CNN).

What you can do

Review the full Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022 text on Congress.gov by searching the bill title to verify the 30-day notice and substantive rationale requirements: https://www.congress.gov.

Access the lawsuit filed by the eight former inspectors general via PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) at https://pacer.uscourts.gov by searching party names and filing date February 12, 2025.

Visit the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) website at https://www.ignet.gov to read official statements on inspector general independence and oversight standards.