Trump just ousted the inspector general overseeing coronavirus relief spending

President Trump has removed the inspector general tasked with overseeing how the federal government's coronavirus relief package is spent.After Trump signed $2.2 trillion in federal spending, a panel of inspectors general from across Cabinet departments were tasked with ensuring it was distributed and spent as intended. The panel chose Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine as its chair, but Trump ousted him from the department on Monday, thus removing him from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.News of Fine's ouster started circulating Tuesday, and a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed he was removed both from office and the committee to Politico. Michael Bromwich, a Justice Department inspector general under former President Bill Clinton, declared it "the latest step in the president's wholesale assault on the inspector general community" in a tweet.> 2/2 Glenn Fine was selected by his peers to chair the panel of IGs responsible for overseeing all aspects pandemic response spending. His 25-years experience in the IG community and his reputation for independence and integrity clearly posed a clear and present danger.> > — Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) April 7, 2020Trump has since designated EPA Inspector General Sean O'Donnell as the Pentagon's temporary IG and head of the accountability committee, and nominated Jason Abend, a senior policy adviser at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to fill Fine's role. The panel of inspectors general will be able to select a new chair to oversee the massive spending bill soon.More stories from theweek.com What America needs to do before lockdown can end Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledges $1 billion to coronavirus relief Is Trump's 'campaign of retaliation' about to get worse?

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