Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), one of the Republican Party’s most vocal critics of President Donald Trump, called the administration’s removal of multiple inspector generals a “threat to accountable democracy” and a “fissure in the constitutional balance of power.”
“The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power,” Romney wrote on Twitter Saturday.
The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so
without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) May 16, 2020
Romney’s comments follow President Trump announcing late Friday that he was firing State Department Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee, citing the fact that he “no longer” has “the fullest confidence” in the official.
One source told Breitbart News that Linick had a troubled history and was under investigation previously by the Department of Defense for “mishandling sensitive material.”
Linick gained brief notoriety during the impeachment push by House Democrats against Trump last year when he demanded a congressional audience for a briefing on an “urgent matter” he claimed was related to the impeachment push. What he turned up with were documents from Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani containing a series of unproven conspiracy claims about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Left-wing activists storming synagogue use knee pads, adult diaper to mock Dem congressman over ICE vote
ICE lodges detainer for illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting teen
US approves massive arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia for more than $15 billion amid Middle East tensions
Letitia James fires attorney consumer fraud over criticism of pediatric ‘gender care’
DOJ Releases Massive Trove of Epstein Files Documents, Statement on Trump Involvement
Rep Jeffries escalates rhetoric against Noem, says DHS leader should be ‘put on ice permanently’
Coast Guard searching for survivors after commercial fishing boat sinks off Massachusetts; 1 body recovered
‘Opening Pandora’s Box’: Mike Johnson backs Trump after warning White House about deal with Democrats
Pam Bondi Releases Video Statement After the Arrest of Don Lemon: ‘We Are Coming After You’
Panama court cancels Hong Kong canal contracts, handing Trump win
Federal judge strikes down parts of Trump executive order on citizenship verification for voter registration
With Trump weighing military operations against Iran, questions remain on targets and objectives
Hillary Clinton’s Hit Piece Against Several Christian Leaders Doesn’t Get the Response She Was Hoping for: ‘I’ve Never Been More Proud’
Looming government shutdown threatens service members, FEMA, TSA amid ICE impasse
Don Lemon Charged with Civil Rights Crimes for St. Paul Church StormingBut Linick’s briefing on the “urgent matter” did not impress lawmakers, even Democrats, who thought it was unserious. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), one of the lead impeachment investigators for the Democrats who met with Linick for the briefing, dismissed his presentation as a “completely irrelevant distraction.”
“It’s essentially a packet of propaganda and disinformation spreading conspiracy theories,” Raskin said of what Linick produced, according to CNN.
In addition to Linick, President Trump Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the so-called “whistleblower” complaint that prompted Congress’s impeachment trial. The president subsequently removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general of the Department of Defense.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel said in a statement that the firing came specifically after Linick “had opened an investigation into Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo.”
“This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the Secretary of State, from accountability,” Engel said in the statement. “Mr. Linick’s firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation.”
Linick, a 2013 Obama appointee, will be replaced by Stephen Akard, a State Department spokesperson said. The move comes after a series of firings and replacements of federal watchdogs.
Engel said in a statement:
The president believes he is above the law. As he systematically removes the official independent watchdogs from the executive branch, the work of the Committee on Foreign Affairs becomes that much more critical. In the days ahead, I will be looking into this matter in greater detail, and I will press the State Department for answers.
“I thank Mr. Linick for his distinguished service,” he added.
Story cited here.
