Shortly after you received the Wastebasket last week, 17 agency Inspectors General were quietly cashiered up by the President. These are nonpartisan watchdogs, many of whom were appointed during his first term, that play a crucial role in holding federal agencies accountable.

An Inspector General is a taxpayer watchdog tasked with evaluating agency actions and decisions, making recommendations for reform. They are supposed to be an independent counterweight, not a political lackey reinforcing agency decisions.

Since 1978, Inspectors General have been independent watchdogs, rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse to protect taxpayer dollars. Their audits save billions, ensuring transparency and efficiency. As the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress—affirms, IG independence is key to accountability and public trust. As the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency noted in a statement: “IGs across the Federal Government work every day on behalf of American taxpayers to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the programs and operations of their agencies.”

Examples abound. IGs have been leads in documenting waste and reform opportunities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; Special IGs tracked Iraq and Afghanistan reconstruction; the IGs overseeing tax implementation have documented shortfalls and ways to improve the IRS; and the Defense IG and others have conducted successful criminal investigations of contractors.

Council Chair Hannibal Ware, the Small Business Administration IG—one of those dismissed—underscored the gravity of these removals: “Removals inconsistent with the law are a significant threat to the actual and perceived independence of IGs.”

Firing independent watchdogs isn’t just a reshuffle—it’s an attack on public accountability. Replacing IGs with political appointees prioritizes loyalty to the politics of the White House over independent oversight on behalf of taxpayers. It also sets a terrible precedent that could easily outlive the current administration. Democracy relies on watchdogs to keep government spending in check. Without them, waste and abuse thrive.

This isn’t the first time President Trump did this. In response to similar actions during his first term, Congress took matters into their own hands by strengthening protections for IGs. The law is clear: the president cannot dismiss IGs without cause and must provide a 30-day warning to Congress that includes a “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” for removal. Furthermore, the IGs can’t be removed until 30 days AFTER the communication has been received.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) said as much in a joint letter to the President:

“While IGs aren’t immune from committing acts requiring their removal, and they can be removed by the president, the law must be followed. The communication to Congress must contain more than just broad and vague statements, rather it must include sufficient facts and details to assure Congress and the public that the termination is due to real concerns about the Inspector General’s ability to carry out their mission.

“This is a matter of public and congressional accountability and ensuring the public’s confidence in the Inspector General community, a sentiment shared more broadly by other Members of Congress.  IGs are critical to rooting out waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within the Executive Branch bureaucracy, which you have publicly made clear you are also intent on doing.”

Congress must defend IG independence. Bipartisan outcry over these firings highlights the urgent need for stronger safeguards, like requiring Senate confirmation for acting IGs and strengthening whistleblower protections. No administration should be able to sideline watchdogs with impunity.

Congress must reclaim its rightful place as a coequal branch of government by asserting its oversight role in these decisions. Firing Inspectors General on a whim undercuts the independent watchdogs who ferret out waste, fraud, and abuse on behalf of taxpayers. Lawmakers should enforce protections for IGs, shield them from political purge, and bolster oversight funding. As the Watergate hearings proved, an engaged Congress is the last line of defense against presidential overreach.

This IG mass removal is a bad and illegal idea. Taxpayers deserve better.