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Benched by Trump, Former Pentagon Watchdog Resigns

Had he not been removed by Trump in April, Fine would have overseen $2 trillion in coronavirus relief spending.
President Trump Makes Statement On Vaccine Development

At the beginning of April, President Donald Trump removed the acting watchdog charged with overseeing the $2 trillion in new coronavirus relief spending, Glenn Fine. Trump also removed Fine as acting Pentagon watchdog. The Trump administration did not give a reason for his removal. On Tuesday, Fine announced his resignation.

His last day will be June 1, according to an email he sent employees, reports Politico.

“The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government,” Fine said. “They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way. They are a vital component of our system of checks and balances, and I am grateful to have been part of that system.”

“After many years in the DoJ and DoD OIGs, I believe the time has come for me to step down and allow others to perform this vital role,” he said. “I wish the men and women of the DoD OIG and the Inspector General Community continued success in these important responsibilities.”

In April, Trump replaced Fine as the Pentagon’s acting inspector general, and Fine returned to his post in the inspector general’s office.

In March, President Donald Trump fired Michael Atkinson from his post as inspector general of the intelligence community; he also replaced Steve Linick as State Department watchdog.

White House sources said in April that Trump would be firing seven inspectors general “in one fell swoop.” Trump said he wanted “his own people in those positions now” and would be firing IGs appointed by either President Obama or a previous administration. So far, those firings haven’t happened.

Democratic lawmakers blamed Trump for Fine’s resignation Tuesday.

“There can be no doubt that this is a direct result of President Trump’s actions,” wrote Chair of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), in a statement.

The Ukraine whistleblower’s attorney Mark Zaid tweeted,“I hope Fine will publicly speak up.”

Had Fine not been removed by Trump in April, he would have had the authority to conduct multiple layers of oversight over a panel of inspectors general charged with investigating any aspect of the implementation of the $2 trillion in new coronavirus spending.

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