{"id":2396726,"date":"2025-01-29T18:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T23:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/usda-inspector-general-escorted-from-office-after-refusing-to-comply-with-trump-order\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T18:53:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T23:53:08","slug":"usda-inspector-general-escorted-from-office-after-refusing-to-comply-with-trump-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/usda-inspector-general-escorted-from-office-after-refusing-to-comply-with-trump-order\/","title":{"rendered":"USDA Inspector General Escorted from Office After Refusing to Comply with Trump Order"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fusda-inspector-general-escorted-from-office-after-refusing-to-comply-with-trump-order%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2396726&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses\u200d the removal \u2064of Phyllis Fong, \u2063the \u200cU.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s Inspector General,\u200b after she refused to acknowledge\u2064 her termination by the Trump\u2064 governance. Fong\u2063 argued\u200b that the administration did not follow legal protocols for her \u200cremoval \u200band communicated her \u2064intention to stay \u200con despite the termination notice. Her case is part of a broader trend where several inspectors general \u2062were\u200d dismissed on the\u200c same day, raising\u2064 concerns about\u2062 accountability within the government. Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressed that these firings signal a \u2063disregard for oversight and openness.While Trump defended\u2064 the mass removals\u2063 as a common practice,he noted that some inspectors\u2063 general would remain,dismissing speculation about \u2062replacing them with political allies.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Security personnel reportedly removed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-former-ag-barr-initiated-spying-program-on-americans-back-in-1992\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Former AG Barr Initiated Spying Program on Americans Back in 1992\">inspector general<\/a> of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from her office Monday after she refused to acknowledge that she had been fired by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/usda-inspector-general-escorted-out-her-office-after-defying-white-house-2025-01-29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters<\/a> reported that Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had told colleagues of her plans to stay on despite being terminated on Friday, arguing that the new administration did not follow the proper protocols for her removal.<\/p>\n<p>Fong was among 17 inspectors general notified of their terminations that day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In an  to colleagues on Saturday, reviewed by Reuters, she said the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency &lsquo;has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time,&#8217;&rdquo; the news outlet said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680;BREAKING: Security removes USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong from her office after defying Trump&rsquo;s termination orders. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4DkbRddmT4\">pic.twitter.com\/4DkbRddmT4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bennyjohnson\/status\/1884667851581067676?\">January 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In a Friday <a href=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/newsgraphics\/documenttools\/8039c100ece30695\/110cc30e-full.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> to the White House Director of Presidential Personnel, CIGIE Council Chairman Hannibal &ldquo;Mike&rdquo; Ware, wrote based on federal law as amended in 2022 that Trump must notify Congress 30 days before the removal of an IG and provide, &ldquo;substantive rationale, included detailed and case-specific reasons&rdquo; for the removal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I recommend that you reach out to White House Counsel to discuss your intended course of action,&rdquo; Ware said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/27\/us\/politics\/trump-inspectors-general-fired.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a> reported that the IGs that the Trump administration removed besides Fong were those at the Departments Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They also included, [Ware] said, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-blasted-by-terrorism-foreign-policy-experts-over-afghanistan-decision-such-an-avoidable-shame\/\" title=\"Biden Blasted By Terrorism, Foreign Policy Experts Over Afghanistan Decision: \u2018Such An Avoidable Shame\u2019\">special inspector general<\/a> for Afghanistan reconstruction and the internal watchdogs at the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House&rsquo;s Office of Personnel Management and Mr. Ware&rsquo;s own two agencies, the Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration,&rdquo; according to the Times.<\/p>\n<p>The news outlet noted the <a href=\"https:\/\/uscode.house.gov\/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title5-chapter4&amp;saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU1LXNlY3Rpb240MDE%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim&amp;edition=prelim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inspector General Act of 1978<\/a> was passed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The idea was to have officials embedded in major parts of the executive branch who did not report to that department or agency&rsquo;s head, and so were able to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">perform independent internal oversight<\/a>,&rdquo; The Times said.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the IG removals, &ldquo;a glaring sign that it&rsquo;s a Golden Age for abuse in government and even corruption,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/25\/donald-trump-inspectors-general-firing-00200611\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Politico<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These firings are Donald Trump&rsquo;s way of telling us he is terrified of accountability and is hostile to facts and to transparency,&rdquo; he said from the Senate floor on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Trump defended the removal of the IGs on Saturday aboard Air Force One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/remarks\/2025\/01\/press-gaggle-by-president-trump-aboard-air-force-one-en-route-to-miami-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">telling<\/a> reporters, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very common thing to do,&rdquo; and noting not all of them were fired.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[Department of Justice IG] Michael Horowitz, we&rsquo;re keeping. I thought his report on [former FBI Director James] Comey was incredible, actually. It was such an accurate, well-done report,&rdquo; the president said.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2019, Horowitz, a <a href=\"https:\/\/obamawhitehouse.archives.gov\/the-press-office\/2011\/07\/29\/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barack Obama appointee<\/a>, released a report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/inspector-general-horowitz-scolds-fbi-trump-russia-probe-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">excoriating<\/a> the FBI&rsquo;s chain of command, including Comey, for the agency&rsquo;s handling of the Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">IG Horowitz referred the ENTIRE chain of command of Obama&rsquo;s FBI for further investigation<\/p>\n<p>Incredible <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kXI1agEcoD\">pic.twitter.com\/kXI1agEcoD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realLizUSA\/status\/1204806083119857664?\">December 11, 2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Trump added, regarding the fired IGs, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know them, but some people thought that some were unfair or some were not doing the job. And it&rsquo;s a very standard thing to do, very much like the U.S. attorneys.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Asked if he planned to put his &ldquo;own people&rdquo; in the vacant IG positions, the president said, &ldquo;They&rsquo;re not my people.&nbsp; I don&rsquo;t know anybody that would do that, but we&rsquo;ll put people in there that will be very good.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Security personnel reportedly removed the USDA Inspector General from her office on Monday after she declined to accept her termination by the Trump administration. According to Reuters, Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, informed colleagues of her intention to remain in her position despite being fired on Friday, arguing that proper procedures were not followed for her dismissal. Fong was one of 17 inspectors general notified of their terminations that day. In a message to colleagues reviewed by Reuters, she stated that the independent Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency believed these termination notices did not meet legal requirements and were therefore ineffective at this time<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2396727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Phyllis-Fong.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[21871,39711,49455,19013],"class_list":["post-2396726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-compliance","tag-inspector-general","tag-trump-order","tag-usda"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Phyllis-Fong.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2396726"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2396730,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2396726\/revisions\/2396730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2396727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2396726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2396726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2396726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}