How the SEC Responded to Trump’s Inspectors General Purge
Newly released emails obtained by FOIA Files reveal the number of inspectors general fired by Trump and how the securities regulator’s watchdog prepared for the possibility she would be next.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) headquarters in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergWelcome back to FOIA Files! Just four days after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he fired several agency watchdogs—inspectors general—that investigate claims of waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending. Since then, I’ve sent Freedom of Information Act requests to nearly every agency that has an office of inspector general to find out exactly who was fired and what the response was to the dismissals. The Securities and Exchange Commission responded with a couple dozen pages of documents that reveal how the regulator prepared for the possibility that its own inspector general would be next (she was spared). Plus, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing earlier this week on the state of the FOIA. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.
Inspectors general, or IGs, are a vital part of the federal bureaucracy. Former President Jimmy Carter signed the Inspector General Act of 1978 that introduced IGs in the executive branch. Half of the 73 IGs are appointed by the president, while the rest are appointed by the head of each agency. The law says the president can remove any presidential appointees, but only after a 30-day notification is provided to Congress.