- Eight U.S. inspectors general fired last month by President Donald Trump are suing the administration to get their jobs back. The lawsuit announced on Wednesday accuses Trump of breaking the law by failing to give U.S. Congress 30-days’ notice and a valid explanation for their terminations.
- The lawsuit cites a 2022 federal law requiring the U.S. president to notify Congress a month before they dismiss an inspector general and give a detailed reason for the decision.
- The plaintiffs argue that they should be retained or reinstated while having Trump follow the 2022 law if he wants to terminate them.
Full Story
Eight U.S. inspectors general who were fired in January 2025 by President Donald Trump are suing the administration to get their jobs back.
What law does the suit say Trump broke?
The lawsuit announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12, accuses Trump of breaking the law by failing to give U.S. Congress 30-days’ notice and a valid explanation for their terminations, citing a 2022 federal law requiring the president to notify Congress a month before they dismiss an inspector general and give a detailed reason for doing so.
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Who are the plaintiffs?
The former government watchdogs include former inspectors general for the Pentagon, the departments of State, education, labor, agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Small Business Administration (SBA). Two of the inspectors general were originally appointed by Trump during his first term, former Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch and former SBA Inspector General Michael Ware.
What do the plaintiffs want done?
The plaintiffs argue they should be retained or reinstated while having Trump follow the 2022 law if he wants to terminate them. The lawsuit is pushing for an injunction to enforce the law and asking a U.S. federal court for expedited consideration.
All of the inspectors general said they were notified of their firings by Trump appointees, but never heard from the president himself. Shortly after their terminations, the plaintiffs said access to “computers, phones and access badges” were cut off and the inspectors general were forced to collect their belongings from their agencies under supervision.
What is the bigger picture?
Since taking office, Trump has fired 19 inspectors general, including the U.S. Agency for International Development Inspector General Paul Martin, who is not part of the complaint, hours before the lawsuit was unveiled on Wednesday.
Martin’s firing came just days after he issued a report blaming a foreign aid freeze on nearly $500 million worth of undelivered food in jeopardy of spoilage.
Inspectors general are tasked with internal, independent checks of executive branch waste, fraud and abuse. They often perform intricate audits of government programs.
Has the White House responded to the lawsuit?
While the White House has not responded to the lawsuit, when asked about the legality of firing inspectors general, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has the executive authority to do so, citing a U.S. Supreme Court case from 2020.
In that case, the high court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the “Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Director” could be fired by the president “without cause.”
