The top Democrats on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees launched an investigation Saturday into President Trump's Friday night firing of State Department Inspector General (IG) Steve Linick. POMPEO RECOMMENDED FIRING OF NOW-OUSTED STATE DEPARTMENT IG: OFFICIAL“President Trump’s unprecedented removal of Inspector General Linick is only his latest sacking of an inspector general, our government’s key independent watchdogs, from a federal agency. The lawmakers suggest that the firing "may be an illegal act of retaliation" because the IG was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a longtime advocate for inspectors general who denounced Atkinson's ouster, joined Democrats Saturday in criticizing Trump's latest IG firing. "Inspector General Linick was punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security, as required by the law and by his oath."

Source: Fox News May 16, 2020 19:42 UTC