April 03, 2020

Castro Statement on Trump Firing Intelligence Community Inspector General

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today released the following statement after President Trump’s firing of the ICIG:  

“In the middle of the night, in the midst of a global pandemic, as the coronavirus threatens the American people, President Trump is executing retribution against a civil servant who informed the American people of a whistleblower complaint that led to his impeachment for abuse of power. 

“The role of the Intelligence Community Inspector General is to independently investigate potential wrongdoing in national security and foreign policy. For executing that responsibility, President Trump fired him. This decision not only undermines our system of checks and balances but will enable more corruption and lawless behavior. Congress must hold him accountable.

“Let us never forget: no one is above the law—not even the President of the United States.”

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