In response to supportive questions from Republicans, Miller said that at the GSA he withstood pressure from Republican lawmakers and officials to squash investigations unfavorable to GOP appointees. Miller also uncovered an extravagant GSA conference in Las Vegas in 2010 that led to the organizer’s criminal conviction.
In recent weeks, Trump has fired the acting inspectors general at the Defense and Health and Human Services departments and the intelligence community inspector general, admitting that at least some of the moves were retaliatory in nature. Democrats and accountability groups say they worry other IGs will avoid embarrassing the administration.
“I think all of them have to feel hesitant at the least to uncover anything that might anger the president,” said Danielle Brian, the executive director of the Program on Government Oversight. “And that’s their job. So, he’s really got a lot of hurdles ahead of him to be able to do this job well.”
Senate Banking ranking member Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, invited Miller to criticize Trump’s retaliation against acting HHS IG Christi Grimm, but he demurred, to the ranking member’s disappointment. “You have a bar you need to get over to demonstrate your independence, and I was hoping this would be a way of doing it,” Brown said.
Government watchdogs also questioned whether any former White House staffer, especially one who worked to block congressional investigations into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, could remain independent.
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Democrats doubt Trump attorney can give independent oversight - Roll Call
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