Eight former inspectors general appointed by former President Donald Trump have initiated legal action to reclaim their positions after being dismissed. The lawsuit alleges that their terminations were unlawful, unjustified, and constituted interference with their non-partisan oversight duties. The former officials argue that while the president has the authority to remove inspectors general, proper procedures were not followed in their cases. They claim the mandatory 30-day minimum notice to Congress was not provided, nor was a "substantive, case-specific rationale" given for their removal. The lawsuit emphasizes that until lawfully removed, they remain the duly appointed inspectors general.

The dismissed inspectors general represented various departments, including Defense, State, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Veteran Affairs. According to the complaint, each received nearly identical termination notices citing "changing priorities" as the reason for their immediate dismissal.

The firings, which took place last month, drew bipartisan criticism. A letter signed by several Democratic and one Republican lawmaker expressed "grave concern," characterizing the dismissals as unlawful and arbitrary and a threat to democracy and the safety of the American people. Senator Chuck Grassley, a prominent Republican and Senate Judiciary Committee chair, joined with Ranking Member Senator Dick Durbin in requesting a legally required explanation for the terminations to ensure transparency and address potential concerns.

Following his dismissal, Mike Ware, former chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, publicly denounced the firings as a threat to democracy, independent oversight, and government transparency.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration's actions, expressing confidence in a legal victory. Former President Trump himself described the dismissals as common and standard practice, a claim disputed by the former inspectors general in their legal filing.