Eight federal watchdogs fired by President Donald Trump are suing to get their jobs back.
The complaint filed Wednesday morning comes from the former inspectors general of eight major federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, and alleges that the president did not follow proper procedures for ousting the oversight officials Jan. 24, just days after Trump returned to the White House.
Under the Inspector General Act, the president must provide Congress advance notice and explanation for removing an inspector general.
“President Trump has not communicated in writing to Congress any reason (case-specific or otherwise) for the removal of any plaintiff from his or her position as IG,” the former inspectors general wrote in their complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “Nor has he articulated any case-specific (or other specific) reason for his actions. Nor did he communicate in writing any finding that any plaintiff ‘poses a threat’ to the workplace.”
