US President Donald Trump's late-night firing of inspectors-general at multiple government agencies has been criticised as illegal by Democrats and others, and drew concern from at least one fellow Republican.
In what critics called a late-night purge, Trump fired 17 independent watchdogs on Friday, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, a move that clears the way to replace independent watchdogs with loyalists.
US senator Adam Schiff, a longtime Democratic antagonist of Trump, said the action was a clear violation of the law.
"Trump wants no accountability for malfeasance in office," Schiff said in a post on platform X. "He is refilling the swamp."
The inspectors-general at agencies including the departments of State, Defense and Transportation were notified by emails from the White House personnel director that they had been terminated immediately, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The dismissals, handed out less than a week after Trump took office for his second term, appeared to violate federal law, the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency said in a letter to the White House on Friday.
The law requires a president to give Congress "substantive rationale, including detailed and case specific reasons" for the dismissals 30 days in advance, the council said in the letter to Sergio Gor, White House personnel director.
Gor's email on Friday to the fired inspectors cited "changing priorities" as a reason for the firings, according to the letter, reported by Politico.
"At this point, we do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient to dismiss Presidentially Appointed, Senate Confirmed Inspectors General," said council chair Hannibal Ware, suggesting Gor consult with the White House counsel.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Michael Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspector-general, said the firings were "plainly illegal".
An inspector-general is an independent position that conducts audits and investigations into allegations of waste, fraud and abuse of power.
Republican senator Chuck Grassley, a longtime-supporter of inspectors general, said he wanted to know why Trump fired the watchdogs.
"There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so. I'd like further explanation from President Trump," Grassley said in a statement, adding that a detailed 30-day notice of removal was not provided to Congress.
Fellow Republican senator John Barrasso said he believes Trump will make wise decisions on the inspectors general. "Some of them deserve to be fired," he told Fox News.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the firings "a chilling purge" and a preview of a "lawless approach" by the Trump administration.
Agencies are pressing ahead with orders from Trump, who returned to the presidency on January 20, to reshape the federal bureaucracy by scrapping diversity programs, rescinding job offers and sidelining more than 150 national security and foreign policy officials.
