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Report Outlines Contributions of Inspectors General Fired by Trump -- Lawfare
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/report-outlines-contributions-of-inspectors-general-fired-by-trumpCaroline Cornett
The potential savings generated through the IGs’ wide-ranging enforcement actions outweigh any DOGE has produced.
On Jan. 24, four days into his second term, President Trump fired the inspectors general (IGs) of 18 federal agencies. Of the IGs in cabinet-level agencies, only two—those in the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security—survived. The late-night firings, dubbed the “Friday night purge,” drew immediate and widespread criticism from media, civil society, and top Democratic lawmakers, who expressed concern over the ramifications for accountability, transparency, and ethics in the new administration.
On May 21, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, unveiled a report titled “Undermining the Watchdogs: The 19 Independent Inspectors General Fired by President Trump Uncovered Billions in Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.” The report, which sets out to “underscore the value” of the work the IGs do, concludes that the IGs identified billions of dollars more in potential savings than the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The report provides three key categories of information:
What follows is a summary of the report’s findings regarding IGs’ monetary impact, the range of work they do, and the effects of their removal on staff, as well as a discussion of the legal issues raised by the firings.
. . .
On May 21, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, unveiled a report titled “Undermining the Watchdogs: The 19 Independent Inspectors General Fired by President Trump Uncovered Billions in Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.” The report, which sets out to “underscore the value” of the work the IGs do, concludes that the IGs identified billions of dollars more in potential savings than the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The report provides three key categories of information:
The monetary footprint of the IGs in fiscal year (FY) 2024, calculated as a combination of savings and potential savings.
Examples of enforcement actions each IG took in FY 2024.
Testimony from staff at the offices of the fired IGs about the effects of the firings, provided in briefings to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees in March 2025.
What follows is a summary of the report’s findings regarding IGs’ monetary impact, the range of work they do, and the effects of their removal on staff, as well as a discussion of the legal issues raised by the firings.
. . .