Senator Grassley, in bipartisan letter with seven other Senators, demands 'detailed' explanation from Trump on IG firing

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican, led a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter to the White House late Wednesday seeking a more comprehensive explanation of President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the inspector-general of the intelligence community.

Michael Atkinson, the inspector-general, was instrumental in Trump’s impeachment late last year, having forwarded to Congress a whistleblower complaint concerning Trump’s dealings with Ukraine that Atkinson had found both urgent and credible. Trump, in one of his subsequent remarks on the firing, accused Atkinson of mishandling a “fake report” and characterized the inspector-general as “[n]ot a big Trump fan, that I can tell you.”

Grassley, whose letter was co-signed by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah as well as Democrats including the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner of Virginia, noted, that it was Congress’s responsibility to ascertain “that there are clear, substantial reasons for [Atkinson’s] removal.”

The letter, signed by eight senators in total, demands “more detailed reasoning for the removal of Inspector General Atkinson no later than April 13, 2020.”

“As you know, Congress created inspectors general to combat waste, fraud, and abuse, and to be the independent watchdogs holding federal agencies accountable to the taxpayer,” Grassley wrote. “To ensure inspectors general are fully capable of performing their critical duties, and in recognition of their importance both to efficient administration and to the legislative function, Congress set clear, statutory notice requirements for their potential removal.”

“However, in your recent letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee, you stated only that, 'it is vital that [you] have the fullest confidence' in those serving as IGs and that ‘this is no longer the case’ with regard to Mr. Atkinson,” Grassley wrote, adding that Trump reportedly placed Atkinson on administrative leave, effectively removing him from his position “prior to the completion of the statutorily required notice period.”

“Congressional intent is clear that an expression of lost confidence, without further explanation, is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the statute,” Grassley wrote. “This is in large part because Congress intended that inspectors general only be removed when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing or failure to perform the duties of the office, and not for reasons unrelated to their performance, to help preserve IG independence.”

Grassley went on to add that it is Congress’ “responsibility to confirm that there are clear, substantial reasons for removal.”

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