Trump Fires Michael Atkinson, Intel IG Who Revealed Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint Penny Starr 4 Apr 2020
President Donald Trump sent notice to Congress on Friday that he is removing from office Inspector General Michael Atkinson, the official responsible for the whistleblower complaint that alleged Trump’s communications with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky involved impeachable offenses.
“This is to advise that I am exercising my power as President to remove from office the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community,” the letters to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees said.
“It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General,” the letters said. “That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
The letter also said the order takes effect in 30 days.
The complaint eventually led to Trump’s impeachment in the House and acquittal in the Senate.
NBC reported on the development, including criticism of Trump’s decision:
Zitat Two Congressional sources told NBC News Atkinson was informed Friday night that Trump had fired him, and he has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately.
The statute technically requires that both intelligence committees be notified by Trump 30 days before the effective date of the IG’s removal, and placing him on administrative leave is being viewed by Congress as a way to effectively circumvent this requirement and sideline him right away.
Atkinson is a Trump appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in 2018. He is a career Department of Justice prosecutor.
Trump said he will submit to the Senate his nomination for a replacement at a later date, according to NBC.
ZitatSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, senior Democrats and other inspectors general defended Atkinson while others in Washington questioned the timing of Trump's decision.
"In the midst of a national emergency, it is unconscionable that the President is once again attempting to undermine the integrity of the intelligence community by firing yet another an intelligence official simply for doing his job," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement Friday.
At least 8,200 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. and more 300,000 people have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
Michael Horowitz, chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and the Inspector General at the Department of Justice, issued a statement early Saturday morning, complimenting Atkinson's career.
"Inspector General Atkinson is known throughout the Inspector General community for his integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight," Horowitz said in a statement. "That includes his actions in handling the Ukraine whistleblower complaint."
Without mentioning Trump, Horowitz said the inspector general community would continue to "conduct aggressive, independent oversight of the agencies that we oversee."
"This retribution against a distinguished public servant for doing his job and informing Congress of an urgent and credible whistleblower complaint is a direct affront to the entire inspector general system," House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff said in a statement Friday night.
Pelosi called Atkinsons' dismissal "shameful," saying his firing will have a chilling effect against whistleblowers.
“The shameful late-night firing of Inspector General Atkinson is a brazen act against a patriotic public servant who has honorably performed his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security, as required by the law and by his oath," Pelosi said in a statement.
But as the President noted at the time of the dismissal:
Zitat"I thought he did a terrible job, absolutely terrible. He took a whistleblower report which turned out to be a fake report, it was fake, it was totally wrong. It was about my conversation with the president of Ukraine," Trump said. "He took a fake report, and he brought it to Congress."
"I thought he did a terrible job, absolutely terrible. He took a whistleblower report which turned out to be a fake report, it was fake, it was totally wrong. It was about my conversation with the president of Ukraine," Trump said. "He took a fake report, and he brought it to Congress."
It was a courtesy to call the snitch a "whistleblower." His identity was never revealed. He never testified. He remained anonymous while his claims served their purposes. And then he himself slips away into veil of history.
The man who started this hoax got fired? What took so long?
"Of all horrible religions the most horrible is the worship of the god within." GK Chesterton
“These High-Tech oligarchs are dangerous for democracy.” Devin Nunes
"It’s a movement comprised of Americans from all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs, who want and expect our government to serve the people, and serve the people it will." Donald Trump's Victory Speech 11/9/16
INSIDE EVERY LIBERAL IS A TOTALITARIAN SCREAMING TO GET OUT -- Frontpage mag
Quote: Cincinnatus wrote in post #3Newsweek (yeah, it's still around) headline:
ZitatAdam Schiff Denounces Trump's Firing of Inspector General
By golly, that changes everything. Perhaps hearings are in order.
Let's see hearings are needed for: . The firing of the inspector general . The firing of Captain Crozier . Cutting off travel from China . Not cutting off travel from China . Pointing out medical equipment going out the back door in NY hospitals . Pointing out the result of anecdotal, i.e. clinical, use of hydroxychloroquine . Annoymous campaign donation of food to hospitals .etc
Illegitimi non Carborundum
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.- Orwell
The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it - Orwell