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‘Trump Is Destroying Our Democracy’: Lawyers Outraged After Inspector General Axed Under Dark of Night

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Critics saw the departure as more of the same sort of bad news from an administration increasingly emboldened and determined to squelch dissent among its ranks.
President Donald Trump moved to fire yet another inspector general late Friday. This time, career U. S. Department of State official Steve Linick was preemptively ousted by way of a pro forma letter addressed to congressional leaders. Attorneys and critics quickly seized upon the news to argue that the 45th president was moving the nation toward some as-yet-unknown form of alleged autocracy.
National security and federal employment attorney Bradley P. Moss noted the historical nature of Trump’s long-running attacks on the various checks previously put in place to prevent against unbridled executive branch power and authority.
“Bit by bit, the president continues to dismantle the institutional and constitutional reforms we spent the last half-century implementing to reign in the imperial presidency,” he said in an email to Law&Crime. “This is not normal nor sustainable.”
“Trump is destroying our democracy,” said famed whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid via Twitter. “Intentionally. Methodically. This is nothing less than authoritarian overtures to increase his power. I can tell you of other countries who have done the same in history. It didn’t end well for them or their country. Pay attention America.”
Technically, Trump only telegraphed his plan to axe Linick by mid June. While all inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president, even the most mercurial of office-holders at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are prohibited from immediately terminating the country’s cadre of independent watchdogs.
Under federal law, the president must notify the U. S. Congress of any plans to remove an inspector general and give at least 30 days formal written notice of such a personnel change.

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