Inspectors General removed in 'Friday Night Purge' - Various federal departments

On 24 January 2025, in a coordinated and unprecedented move, the White House fired at least seventeen inspectors general of various federal agencies en bloc. Among the most notable names are Phyllis Fong (Agriculture), Mark Greenblatt (Interior), Rae Oliver Davis (HUD), Robert Storch (Defence), Sean O'Donnell (EPA), Cardell Richardson Sr. (State), Christi Grimm (Health and Human Services), Michael J. Missal (Veterans Affairs) and Mike Ware (Small Business Administration). The notifications came by email, often in the middle of the night, without complying with the 30-day notice imposed by the IG Act. Official reasons were vague, limited to the need for 'a change of priorities'. In reality, the purge was interpreted as a direct attack on the independence of the federal government's internal control system. The CIGIE, the council that coordinates the inspectors-general, denounced a severe blow to the supervisory capacity. Congress reacted with harsh criticism, denouncing the illegality of the manoeuvre. Even former Republican officials expressed concern especially about the risk of waste and abuse. For the press, the night of 24 January became a symbol of the beginning of a campaign of systematic purges. The removed inspectors represented the backbone of federal transparency and their exit left many offices in the hands of interim figures loyal to the White House.