Posted by on January 24, 2025 11:50 pm
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Categories: Politics

WaPo breaks the news about what will surely be known as the “Friday Night Massacre“:T

he White House late Friday fired the independent inspectors general of at least 12 major federal agencies in a purge that could clear the way for President Donald Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government.

The inspectors general were notified by emails from the White House personnel director that they had been terminated immediately, according to people familiar with the situation, who like others in this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private messages. The dismissals appeared to violate federal law, which requires Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire the inspectors general.

Some of the government’s largest agencies were involved, including the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Energy.

On MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour”, commentators Barbara McQuade and Anthony Coley reiterated the questionable legality of the move.

The news broke just over an hour after the Senate confirmed the woefully underqualified FOX News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense:

The appointment of Hegseth, a Trump loyalist who has called for a “frontal assault” to rid the Pentagon of what he’s said is a leftist ideology, marks a dramatic political shift in the United States’ national security policy and leadership.

Hegseth secured his post Friday night in a vote of 51-50, after Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote. It marks the second time in U.S. history that a vice president’s vote was necessary to confirm a Cabinet official, and Republicans applauded as Vance entered the chamber.

Three Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) joined the chamber’s Democrats and independents in opposing Hegseth, following a heated confirmation process that centered on allegations of alcohol abuse, sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement. Hegseth steadily and vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

Yeah, that should work out really well.

DEVELOPING HARD…