Grassley says White House 'failed' on watchdog firings
By Andrew Desiderio 1 hr ago
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone told a top Republican senator on Tuesday that President Donald Trump acted appropriately when he fired two independent government watchdogs.
The long-awaited response, which Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) demanded after Trump fired the inspectors general for the intelligence community and the State Department, comes after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern with the president’s actions and asserted that he did not comply with a statute requiring a detailed explanation for those firings.
In a subsequent statement, Grassley said Cipollone’s response “failed to address†that requirement, which was codified in a 2008 law that Grassley co-authored.
“I don’t dispute the president’s authority under the Constitution, but without sufficient explanation, it’s fair to question the president’s rationale for removing an inspector general,†Grassley said. “If the president has a good reason to remove an inspector general, just tell Congress what it is. Otherwise, the American people will be left speculating whether political or self interests are to blame.â€
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/grassley-says-white-house-failed-on-watchdog-firings/ar-BB14DL9p?ocid=spartanntp