The week
Biden must choose whether to replace Trump’s inspectors general, especially one pushed in by McConnell
Federal Inspectors General is supposed to be independent watchdogs of federal agencies, and while former President Donald Trump last spring purged numerous inspectors-generals on vague pretense, President Biden must decide whether to further break the norms by trumpeting Trump’s choices. fire and it by replacing officials, confirmed in the usual way, reports The New York Times. The biggest dilemmas are Eric Soskin, the inspector general of the Department of Transportation, and Brian Miller, a former Trump White House lawyer who was appointed earlier in 2020 to seek abuse in spending pandemics. “Almost every inspector general since Congress established the Independent Anti-Corruption Positions in 1978 has been unanimously or through suffrage confirmed without opposition,” but only one Democrat confirmed to Miller , reports the Times. Along with the objections that he was too close to Trump, Miller launched an investigation in the first eight months because he apparently did little, although he submitted a report to Congress on Monday outlining investigative work. “I try to be dual and non-partisan – definitely as an inspector general and in everything I do,” Miller told the Times. Meanwhile, Soskin’s office is investigating whether Trump’s secretary of transportation, Elaine Chao, improperly sent federal grants to Kentucky to aid the re-election of her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). In December, McConnell, then a majority leader, used his power to prioritize Soskin’s confirmation over four other inspector generals in front of him, the Times reported, ensuring that a Republican appointment would control the office once Biden amp accepted. Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, gave McConnell the move the time. Oh, I should have also mentioned that the alleged offense involves the Sec of Transportation trying to help her husband McConnell, yes, the same person who is trying to push through the confirmation today. – Danielle Brian (@daniellebrian) December 18, 2020 It cost McConnell two tries, but on December 21, he finally got Soskin 48-47, the first-ever party vote for an inspector general. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Brian said the removal of Soskin and other Trump-appointed inspectors general “would essentially exacerbate the problems he created in the first place.” Soskin declined to comment through a spokesman on the status of his office’s Chao-McConnell investigation. A McConnell spokesman pointed to a 2019 statement in which McConnell openly indicated his ability to donate federal dollars to Kentucky. More stories from theweek.com Rise of Barstool Conservatives Federal judge evicts Trump EPA lame-duck rule restricting scientific studies used in policy-making, aerobics agency Myanmar coup unconscious in the background of her live training session