USDA inspector general escorted out by security after refusing to leave office after firing
The inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Phyllis Fong, was reportedly escorted out of her office by security agents on Monday after refusing to comply with her firing by the Trump administration.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Fong had informed her colleagues earlier that she planned to stay in her position, arguing that the White House had not followed proper procedures in its decision to terminate her.
Despite receiving a termination notice on Friday, Fong maintained that the Trump administration had not adhered to federal requirements governing the removal of inspectors general.
Fong, who had served as the department’s inspector general for 22 years, addressed her concerns in an email sent to colleagues on Saturday.
She cited the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), stating that the organization believed the terminations did not comply with legal requirements and were therefore not valid.
Fong was one of 17 federal inspectors general dismissed by the Trump administration on Friday. The White House sent an email to each of them citing “changing priorities” as the reason for