Congressional Democrats push for new watchdog to oversee Trump's White House
Senate Democrats are planning to introduce new legislation to create a new watchdog office to monitor the conduct and actions of President Trump's White House and future administrations.
The bill, which will be formally announced Wednesday by a group of congressional Democrats, requires an inspector general to oversee the Executive Office of the President. The legislation has been attempted previously, but has new urgency, according to its authors.
"Inspectors general conduct important independent oversight throughout different agencies in the executive branch. But the same is not true when it comes to the President and the White House — where there is no inspector general," said Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who is sponsoring the bill. "That should change, regardless of who is in office."
Schiff said an inspector general overseeing the White House offices and staff would "ensure that no President or administration is above the law."
"Inspectors general hold federal agencies accountable by rooting out fraud and abuse, and this legislation would implement the same oversight of our nation's highest office," said Schiff, a longtime Trump foe who has helped investigate the president – drawing stiff criticism from Mr. Trump.
Ethics and watchdog groups have long advocated for an inspector general to monitor White House staff and offices. Rep. Rosa Delauro, a Connecticut Democrat who is also sponsoring the legislation, had during Mr. Trump's first term.
Delauro said, "This is a vital check on executive power that is long overdue."
Congressional Democrats have criticized Mr. Trump for years over alleged conflicts between his business interests and his role as president — a charge the Trump administration has long denied, saying his assets are managed by his children.
The bill faces long odds in a GOP-controlled House and Senate, and Republican leadership is unlikely to bring the bill to a vote. DeLauro's 2017 bill beyond the House Oversight Committee. And this latest Democratic effort to subject the White House to greater outside inspection and scrutiny is bound to be seen by the administration and its supporters as a partisan political move.
Dozens of inspectors general work throughout the federal government to audit, inspect and investigate agencies, aiming to root out waste, fraud and misconduct. In recent years, inspectors have uncovered wait time issues at veterans' medical centers, luxurious parties funded by taxpayers and criminal sexual misconduct by agency employees. The watchdogs typically serve across administrations and are rarely fired.
But the White House and its staff have not been monitored by such an office. The Executive Office of the President has hundreds of employees, including key aides such as the president's press secretary, chief of staff and national security adviser.
"The Executive Office of the President — the epicenter of federal policymaking and governance — lacks this key form of internal oversight, allowing corrupt actors at the highest levels of government to evade public accountability," said Debra Perlin, a vice president with the Washington, D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Mr. Trump has fueled concerns about the ability of agency watchdogs to monitor administration policies, decisions and employees. Mr. Trump fired more than a dozen federal inspectors general in the opening days of his second term, triggering an ongoing federal civil suit by the ousted officials, who allege the firings were not lawful.
The administration also fired the former head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger, which monitors employees across federal agencies.
Dellinger — who dropped his legal fight against his firing after an appeals court sided with Mr. Trump — told "60 Minutes" earlier this year: "I'm not looking to promote a president's agenda or thwart it. I'm just trying to make sure the laws are followed."
The administration has the president has the right to remove inspectors general. Mr. Trump called firing the watchdogs "a very standard thing to do."
Mr. Trump has also appointed some loyal surrogates to other watchdog positions in his administration, raising questions about their independence. The president chose right-wing podcast host and MAGA loyalist Paul Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel.
