Inspector General Escorted Out Of Office After Defying Trump’s Dismissal

Security agents escorted the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) out of her office Monday after she refused to comply with her firing by President Donald Trump, Reuters first reported.

Phyllis Wong, a 22-year veteran of the department, reportedly earlier informed colleagues of her intention to stay, arguing in an email obtained by the outlet that Trump’s termination orders “do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.”

The White House defended its termination of Fong and other inspectors general in a statement to the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation. “These rogue, partisan bureaucrats who have weaponized the justice system against their political enemies are no longer fit or deserve to serve in their appointed positions, and they have been relieved of their duties in order to make room for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy,” the White House statement stated.

The White House terminated Fong along with 16 other federal inspectors general via email Friday. The USDA inspector general position carries broad oversight authority within the agency, with jurisdiction over all programs, personnel and operations under the USDA’s umbrella, from farm subsidies to food safety regulations.

Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Chairman Hannibal Ware wrote in a