The Democratic members of the US House of Representatives yesterday opened an investigation into President Donald Trump's decision to fire the State Department's inspector general, Steve Linnick, accusing the president of stepping up his war against any oversight of his administration.
An aide to congressman - who requested anonymity - explained that Inspector Steve Linnick was investigating complaints that Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo had used a person appointed by the political authority to carry out personal tasks for him and his wife.
Pompeo makes many trips in the world to the government plane with his wife Susan Pompeo, which is frustrating because she does not have any political role.
Trump said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday, Friday, that he no longer had confidence in the inspector general's ability to perform his duties, without giving a reason.
The letter did not mention who will succeed Linnik, who took office in 2013 during the Barack Obama administration, and has become the latest government watchdog that Trump has decided to remove from office in recent weeks.
In a statement, the Foreign Relations Committee of the Democratic-controlled House and Democratic members of the Senate questioned the timing and motive of what they described as an "unprecedented dismissal."
"We are totally opposed to the dismissal of politically motivated inspectors and the president's destruction of these sensitive positions," said committee chairman Elliot Angel and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez.
The White House said yesterday that the President's decision to dismiss Linnic was made on the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and it was not immediately possible to get comment from the ministry.
Linnick has become the fourth inspector general sacked by Trump since early April after he was cleared of accountability to the Senate.
Trump recently started targeting the inspectors general. Last month, the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community expelled Michael Atkinson for his role in the complaint of whistle-blowers that led to Trump's impeachment in Congress. For the Accountability Committee on Response to Epidemics.
During a recent briefing by the White House on the Coruna epidemic, Trump questioned the independence of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a lack of supplies and testing in hospitals.