The week
Biden must choose whether to replace Trump’s inspector general, especially one urged by McConnell
Federal Inspectors General are believed to be independent watchdogs of federal agencies, and while former President Donald Trump purged numerous inspectors general on vague pretenses last spring, President Biden must decide whether to further violate standards by firing Trump’s choices. and replace them with confirmed officials. in the usual way, The New York Times reports. The biggest dilemmas are Eric Soskin, the inspector general of the transportation department, and Brian Miller, a former Trump White House attorney appointed earlier in 2020 to search for pandemic spending abuse. “Nearly all inspectors general since Congress established the positions of the independent anti-corruption watchdog in 1978 have been unanimously or by ballot affirmed with no recorded opposition,” but only one Democrat voted for Miller, the Times reports. Along with concerns about being too close to Trump, Miller has faced criticism for apparently doing little in his first eight months, though he submitted a report to Congress on Monday with some investigative work. “I try to be dual and impartial – especially as an inspector general and in everything I do,” Miller told the Times. Soskin’s office, meanwhile, was investigating whether Trump’s transportation secretary Elaine Chao had falsely sent federal grants to Kentucky to aid in the re-election of her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). In December, McConnell, the then majority leader, used his power to prioritize Soskin’s confirmation over four other inspector general nominees who lined up for him, the Times reports, to ensure that a Republican appointee would check the office as soon as Biden took office. Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, marked McConnell’s move at the time. Oh, I should also have said that the alleged misconduct involves the Sec of Transportation trying to help her husband McConnell, yes the same person trying to push through the confirmation today. – Danielle Brian (@daniellebrian) December 18, 2020 It took McConnell two tries, but on December 21, he finally got Soskin confirmed 48-47, the first-ever party line vote for an inspector general. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Brian said removing Soskin and other Trump-appointed inspector generals “would essentially exacerbate the problems he caused in the first place.” Soskin declined to comment through a spokesperson on the status of his office’s Chao-McConnell investigation. A McConnell spokesman pointed to a 2019 statement in which McConnell openly praised his ability to channel federal dollars into Kentucky. More stories from theweek.com Rise of bar stool conservatives Merrick Garland still can’t get Senate hearing Data shows only 38 percent of nursing home workers have accepted COVID-19 vaccines