Trump removes independent watchdog tasked with overseeing coronavirus emergency funds
By Zachary Cohen, CNN
Updated 3:06 PM ET, Tue April 7, 2020
(CNN)President Donald Trump has removed the acting inspector general for the Defense Department, Glenn Fine, from his post -- a decision that means Fine will no longer chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee tasked with overseeing $2 trillion in emergency coronavirus funding.
Late last month, a group of independent federal watchdogs tapped Fine, a career official, to lead the group tasked with preventing "waste, fraud, and abuse" in the use of coronavirus relief money.
It's the most recent effort by Trump to undermine federal oversight.
Late Friday night, the President fired the intelligence inspector general who reported a whistleblower's complaint to Congress, thus touching off the impeachment investigation. On Monday, Trump repeatedly questioned the motives behind an in-depth investigation by the Health and Human Services inspector general into supply shortages affecting the coronavirus response.
A Defense Department spokeswoman did not explain why Fine was removed from the acting inspector general position, but she did explain that it meant he was no longer eligible to stay on the accountability committee, which is limited to inspector generals and acting inspector generals.
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https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/politics/trump-sidelines-pentagon-watchdog-coronavirus-funds/index.html?utm_term=1586280210598775ada6e22c9&utm_source=Breaking+News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=155001&bt_ee=R9kHfvz58bKz30X%2B7fenKLW5f09W2uzmy7LZxazXPxuAlHNSCtYy%2BJZzwHP%2BH9mz&bt_ts=1586280210601
