1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The recent firings of over a dozen inspectors general across federal agencies by the President are deeply concerning and risk enabling corruption to fester unchecked. Inspectors general serve a vital role in conducting independent investigations and audits to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse within government. Removing these watchdogs undermines transparency and accountability measures intended to protect taxpayer interests and promote efficient, ethical governance. Inspectors general have been authorized by Congress to access all agency records, issue subpoenas, and report their findings directly to lawmakers without interference from the agencies they oversee. Eliminating these independent oversight positions opens the door for misconduct and misuse of public funds to occur in the shadows. Even the appearance of dismantling anti-corruption safeguards is detrimental to public trust in our democratic institutions. To uphold the principles of good governance and fiscal responsibility, I urge you to take decisive action to halt any further dismissals of inspectors general without proper cause and Congressional notification as mandated by the Inspector General Act of 1978. Preserving the independence and authority of these watchdog roles is essential to rooting out waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government. Robust oversight should be a nonpartisan issue that all elected leaders rally behind to ensure ethical stewardship of taxpayer resources. I implore you to defend these critical government accountability mechanisms before corruption is allowed to proliferate unchecked.