When Watchdogs Are Silenced: Trump’s Assault on Accountability

Yesterday’s Reuters report on the firing of Joe Allen, the acting Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), marks yet another chilling milestone in the Trump administration’s campaign to dismantle independent oversight and weaponize federal power against political opponents. Allen, a 40-year Justice Department veteran, was reportedly dismissed after attempting to deliver constitutionally required information to prosecutors and preparing to notify Congress that the FHFA was refusing to cooperate with his investigations. His removal came directly from the White House—just as FHFA Director Bill Pulte, a vocal Trump ally, has been using his position to pursue criminal referrals targeting political figures who have opposed or prosecuted the president, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and Senator Adam Schiff. The FHFA was created after the 2008 financial crisis to protect the integrity of the mortgage system and the taxpayers who backstop it. Under this administration, it has become a political weapon, bypassing its own watchdog to stage retaliatory actions. The firing of Allen is not an isolated case; it is part of a broader purge of nearly two dozen inspectors general and the defunding of the independent council that supervises them. Congress must act—swiftly and publicly: Hold hearings into the removal of Joe Allen and the politicization of the FHFA. Reinstate protections for inspectors general to prevent political firings. Restore funding for the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. And reaffirm that no president, no matter how powerful, has the right to turn the machinery of government into an instrument of revenge. The American people depend on independent watchdogs to keep their government honest. Silencing them endangers not just oversight, but the very principle of lawful, accountable governance.