Mark Greenblatt, one of the 17 inspectors general who President Trump fired on Friday, said he couldn’t access his email come Monday.
“My email has been cut off and I don’t know what’s going to happen with my things,” Mr. Greenblatt, the former inspector general for the Department of the Interior said on CNN on Monday. “I was there for five-and-a-half years and so we’ll see.”
Mr. Trump fired the 17 inspectors general by email late Friday, Mr. Greenblatt said. He said the email was eerily similar to the ones sent the inspectors general fired during Mr. Trump’s first administration.
“So those were Friday night, you know, Friday night massacres, at that time,” he said. “And so to get an email from the White House, saying White House notification on a Friday night at 7:30, I knew that couldn’t be good.”
He said the email contained a two-sentence message from the director of presidential personnel that said, “In light of changing priorities you are terminated from your position at the Department of the Interior effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
The Washington Times has not independently verified the email’s contents.
Mr. Greenblatt, who Mr. Trump named to the position in 2019, said he is unsure of why he got the boot.
“No, I don’t know,” he said. “And all that was stated was the changing priorities, in that email, which I understand the other IGs who were removed, the 17 or 18 of us were still sifting through the rubble, frankly, to find out how many IGs were removed. But as far as I know, all of us got essentially the same email that said changing priorities.”
Inspectors general are independent operators in various government agencies who are responsible for conducting audits to find and prevent fraud, waste and abuse. They’re appointed to their position similarly to Cabinet members — by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Mike Ware, chairman of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, and former inspector general of the Small Business Administration, said Monday on MSNBC that he was shocked to see he was part of firings.
Mr. Ware said the reason for the firings “is actually the most alarming part.”
“The reason was due to changing priorities of the administration and the reason that is alarming is because IGs are not a part of any administration,” he said.
Mr. Ware wrote a letter to White House Director of Presidential Personnel Sergio Gor over the weekend regarding the email and urged Mr. Gor to consult with White House counsel on the administration’s next moves.
“At this point, we do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient to dismiss presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed inspectors general,” Mr. Ware wrote.
There may be protections against the action. The Inspector General Act of 2022 required a 30-day notice to Congress by the White House of its want to fire an IG and provide a reason.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican and co-launcher of the bipartisan Inspector General Caucus, said in a statement that “there may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so.”
“I’d like further explanation from President Trump,” Mr. Grassley said. “Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.”
Several agencies were impacted by the firings, including reportedly the departments of State, Defense, Agriculture, Energy, Interior, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Small Business Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
Cardell Richardson Sr., former IG of the State Department, was reportedly still going to show up to work on Monday, but when the department was reached for comment about whether Mr. Richardson showed up, a press person told The Washington Times there was no comment for the inquiry.
However, the State Department’s website now says the acting inspector general is Sandra J. Lewis.
Democrats railed against the firings.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, condemned Mr. Trump’s actions on the Senate floor Monday.
“This is a chilling, potentially unlawful decision by the president. It’s a reminder that if there’s anything President Trump fears most, it’s accountability,” he said. “He likes to talk about one thing, then another, then doesn’t like to be held accountable.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.