USDA Inspector General Escorted From Office After Defying Trump Firing
USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong was escorted from her office after refusing to comply with her termination by the Trump administration, which claimed the firings were necessary to replace “rogue, partisan bureaucrats.” Fong, a 22-year veteran, believed the dismissal violated established protocols and cited the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s assertion that the terminations were unlawful. Her office’s investigations included matters of significant public interest, such as Neuralink, animal abuse, and food safety issues. The firings, part of a larger purge of 17 federal watchdogs, were widely criticized as potentially illegal.
John Q. Hosedrinker