Several legal analysts have reacted to President Donald Trump's decision to fire several inspectors general Friday night, with some raising concerns over the legality of the move. Newsweek reached out to the White House for confirmation and several legal scholars for comment via email on Saturday. Inspectors general are independent officials within federal agencies who investigate claims of waste, fraud and abuse of power. They conducts audits, evaluations, and special reviews, among other responsibilities.

President Donald Trump reportedly tried to fire more than a dozen inspectors general on Friday night, but that action appears to violate a law that Congress recently passed to prevent such a purge. Reports vary on how many federal inspectors general were handed pink slips. The New York Times reports that "at least 12" of the executive branch agency watchdogs were dismissed by the president on Friday night, while The Washington Post pegs the number at 15 and ABC says at least 17 were canned. Many of those fired were...

In a sweeping move, President Donald Trump ousted at least a dozen inspectors general on Friday night, purging major federal agencies of independent watchdogs tasked with identifying fraud and abuse. A federal law enacted in 2022 stipulates that the president must give Congress at least 30 days notice before firing an inspector general, as well as reasons for the firing—none of which occurred. “It’s a purge of independent watchdogs in the middle of the night,” posted Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on X. “Inspectors general are charged with rooting out government...

The White House has not confirmed the firings and did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. "These firings are Donald Trump's way of telling us he is terrified of accountability and is hostile to facts and to transparency," said Schumer, a Democrat from New York. Speaking from the Senate floor on Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the watchdog firings as a "chilling purge". The Trump administration has fired at least a dozen federal watchdogs late on Friday evening, a possibly illegal move that could face court...

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President Donald Trump fired multiple inspectors general late on Friday, removing the independent watchdogs tasked with investigating abuse and impropriety in federal agencies in a move that potentially violates federal law. A senior White House official confirmed the firings to NBC News, saying, “We’re cleaning house of what doesn’t work for us and going forward.” The exact number of inspectors general who were dismissed is unclear. NBC News reported that at least 12 were fired. The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the actions, reported the number as at least...

Without complying with the law. The legal justification for the firings is murky, given that Congress strengthened protections for inspectors general from undue terminations when it amended the Inspector General Act in 2022. The law requires a 30-day notification window between the White House informing Congress of its intent to fire an inspector general and that inspector general being removed from on-duty status. The White House must also provide substantive reasons for why the inspector general is being removed. The current law also mandates that any acting IG's must come...

President Donald Trump is facing accusations of firing government watchdogs to dismantle checks on his power. Reuters, citing a person with knowledge of the matter, reported that Trump ordered the termination of 17 inspectors general, although the White House has not issued an official announcement. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, was among those who condemned the reported decision as paving the way for widespread corruption. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump fired the inspectors general from more than a dozen federal agencies in a Friday night purge, according to a Trump administration official, paving the way for him to install his own picks overseeing the agencies. The firings have prompted concern from some GOP senators, including Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a known “watchdog” for IGs, who said Congress wasn’t given the 30 days’ notice from the White House required by federal law. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Republican senators, including Majority Leader...

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at government agencies, a sweeping action to remove oversight of his new administration that some members of Congress are suggesting violated federal oversight laws. The dismissals began Friday night and were effective immediately, according to two people familiar with the actions. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public.