Security Agents Escort US Agriculture Inspector General Out of Office After Refusing to Comply with Firing
Security agents escorted Phyllis Fong, the inspector general of the US Department of Agriculture, out of her office on Monday after she refused to comply with her firing by the Trump administration. Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had earlier told colleagues that she intended to stay after the White House terminated her on Friday, citing that the administration had not followed proper protocols.
In an email to colleagues on Saturday, Fong said that the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency has taken the position that the termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.
The White House defended the firing, saying that Fong and the other inspectors general were “rogue, partisan bureaucrats” who were relieved of their duties to make room for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy.
Fong’s office has a broad mandate, pursuing consumer food safety, audits and investigations of the Agriculture Department, as well as violations of animal welfare laws. The office has taken on several high-profile cases in recent years, including an investigation of Elon Musk’s brain implant startup Neuralink, which is still ongoing.
