HHS Inspector General Christi Grimm was one of more than a dozen federal watchdogs fired by President Donald Trump, ABC News reported Jan. 26.
Mr. Trump fired the inspectors general of at least 15 federal agencies on the evening of Jan. 24, according to The Washington Post. The top watchdogs at the Defense Department, State Department, Labor Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs were also among those fired.
On Jan. 24, Mr. Trump told reporters the firings are a "very common thing to do," the Post reported. The president intends to install new inspectors general.
"Some people thought that some [inspectors general] were unfair or some were not doing their job," Mr. Trump said.
Here are four things to know:
- In an email to Ms. Grimm obtained by ABC News, a Trump administration official said her position had been terminated "due to changing priorities." Other inspectors general received similar emails, the outlet reported.
- The firings appear to violate a federal law that requires presidents to provide Congress 30-day notice to fire any inspectors general confirmed by the Senate, according to the Post. Hannibal Ware, chairperson of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and the inspector general of the Small Business Administration, wrote in a letter to the Trump administration that the council does not believe the president's actions are "legally sufficient" to fire inspectors general appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
"Congress specifically established the authorities and structure of the IGs to safeguard their vital oversight role, by mandating independence under the IG Act. Removals inconsistent with the law are a significant threat to the actual and perceived independence of IGs," Mr. Ware said in a Jan. 25 statement. - Ms. Grimm has led HHS' OIG since 2022. She was nominated by then-President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate. She previously served as principal deputy inspector general for the agency. She first joined HHS' OIG in 1999.
- HHS' OIG is primarily responsible for oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and employs more than 1,500 people. The OIG recovered an estimated $7.3 billion in funds through its work in 2024, according to its semiannual report to Congress.