US President Donald Trump fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick late on Friday, with the ousting leading to heavy criticism from senior Democratic lawmakers, including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Trump said in a letter to Pelosi that he no longer had confidence in the inspector general’s ability to serve, though he did not give the reason for his loss of confidence.
“This is to advise that I am exercising my power as President to remove from office the Inspector General of the Department of State, effective 30 days from today,” he said.
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Marine One on May 15. Photo: AFP
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The letter did not say who would replace Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration and is the latest in a string of government watchdogs to be removed in recent weeks.
Linick was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said Democratic lawmaker Eliot Engel, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accusing the president of committing a potentially illegal act of retribution.
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“Mr Linick’s firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation,” the congressman said in a statement.
