#phyllis fong

[saywhat-politics]

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Security agents escorted the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of her office on Monday after she refused to comply with her firing by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had earlier told colleagues that she intended to stay after the White House terminated her Friday, saying that she didn’t believe the administration had followed proper protocols, the sources said.

In an email to colleagues on Saturday, reviewed by Reuters, she said the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency “has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.”

Fong declined to comment.

[cutecipher]

Fuck the rule of law

[houstontiger]

[dertaglichedan]

Former Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch, whose office was behind the report on the department’s response to assistance requests before and on January 6, 2021, was one of the 17 inspectors general Trump fired on Friday.

Trump also fired a longtime inspector general who was first appointed under the Clinton administration and another who he sidelined in his first administration, but President Joe Biden reappointed in 2022.

Ex-DOD Inspector General Storch’s office released the report titled “Review of the DoD’s Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and its Aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021.”

In a November 2024 letter, Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight Chair Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) penned a letter to Storch stating the committee “discovered numerous flaws and inaccuracies in the report that your office has yet to appropriately address.”

The committee, which investigated the intelligence and security failures that led to the Capitol riot, “concluded that the Department of Defense intentionally delayed the deployment of the DCNG [District of Columbia National Guard] to the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Loudermilk wrote.

Moreover, the probe indicates that Storch covered up the scope of the delay.

“Furthermore, the Subcommittee also maintains that the DoD IG knowingly concealed the extent of the delay in constructing a narrative that is favorable to DoD and Pentagon leadership,” Loudermilk added.

He added that the report contradicts the philosophy an inspector general is expected to abide by:

A report that includes biased and incomplete statements to favor the DoD and U.S. Army while disparaging the DCNG fails to represent the DoD IG’s philosophy and practice of producing unbiased, objective, impartial, and independent reviews as well as recommendations grounded in evidence and free from external influence.

Federal Election Commission records show that Storch is also a Democrat donor. Between 2008 and 2012, he contributed $750 to former President Barack Obama’s campaign.

Two others who were fired include former Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm and former Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong.

Trump sidelined Grimm in 2020 after she provided what then-HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir said was an outdated survey on shortages in coronavirus testing. Biden reinstalled her in 2022

[cassidymomma]

USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House

Source: USA TODAY

USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House

Source: USA TODAY

[cmesinic]

Crotch Musk makes his first personal kill! I will definitely pursue information about his destruction of Americans lives.

[tieflingkisser]

Exclusive-USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House

Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department, had earlier told colleagues that she intended to stay after the White House terminated her Friday, saying that she didn’t believe the administration had followed proper protocols, the sources said. In an email to colleagues on Saturday, reviewed by Reuters, she said the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency “has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.”

[...]

The White House defended the firing of Fong and the other inspectors general, saying "these rogue, partisan bureaucrats... have been relieved of their duties in order to make room for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy." The USDA inspector general has a broad mandate, pursuing consumer food safety, audits and investigations of the Agriculture Department as well as violations of animal welfare laws. The USDA has been at the heart of concerns about bird flu, which has spread among cattle and chickens and killed a person in Louisiana. In 2022, the inspector general’s office launched an investigation of Elon Musk’s brain implant startup Neuralink, which remains ongoing, sources said. In recent years, the office has also taken on animal abuse at dog breeders for research labs and the listeria outbreak at Boar’s Head, among other issues.

[dark-rx]

Phyllis Fong, who was investigating Elon Musk's brain implant startup Neuralink, forcefully removed from office after refusing termination order

Security personnel escorted the US Department of Agriculture’s inspector general from her office this week after she refused to comply with her dismissal by the Trump administration, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. Phyllis Fong, who had served in the department for 22 years, informed colleagues that she planned to remain in her position despite being terminated by the White House. According to sources, she argued that the administration had not followed the proper procedures. Fong previously served as the first chairperson of CIGIE from 2008 to 2014, according to her USDA biography.In an email to colleagues, reportedly reviewed by Reuters, Fong cited the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, stating that the council had determined the termination notices did not adhere to legal requirements and were therefore not effective.

What White House said on Phyllis Fong's termination

The White House defended the dismissals of Fong and other inspectors general, claiming that "these rogue, partisan bureaucrats... have been relieved of their duties to make way for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy."

As USDA’s inspector general, Fong oversaw a broad range of responsibilities, including consumer food safety, audits, and investigations into the Agriculture Department, as well as enforcement of animal welfare laws. The USDA has been central to concerns over the spread of bird flu, which has affected cattle and poultry and resulted in a fatality in Louisiana. In 2022, Fong’s office launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, which remains ongoing, sources said. In recent years, the office has also investigated animal abuse at research dog breeders and the listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head, among other issues.

Fong was among 17 federal watchdogs dismissed by Trump recently a move critics described as a "Friday-night purge."

[whitefromthebeginning]

Pretoria South African Elon Musk who was not elected or appointed to any government position has fired U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector Phyllis Fong for investigating his Neurolink brain implant startup.

[hackernewsrobot]

Phyllis Fong, who was investigating Neuralink, "forcefully removed "

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/phyllis-fong-who-was-investigating-elon-musks-brain-implant-startup-neuralink-forcefully-removed-from-office-after-refusing-termination-order/articleshow/117800543.cms

[veale2006-blog]

JAG Arrests Nasty, Vicious, unAmercian USDA Inspector General Phyllis “Fong” After She Gets Kicked Out of Office https://realrawnews.com/2025/01/jag-arrests-nasty-vicious-unamercian-usda-inspector-general-phyllis-fong-after-she-gets-kicked-out-of-office/

[newsxbyte]

USDA inspector general escorted out after refusing dismissal by Donald Trump administration. Here’s what happened

US security agents on Monday escorted the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of her office after she refused to comply with her dismissal by the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the situation, as reported by Reuters. Also Read: Donald Trump appeals to overturn his conviction in hush money case Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the department,…

[nedsecondline]

Asian American inspector general stands up to Trump – AsAmNews

Reuters learned exclusively Phyllis Fong, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was escorted from her office on Monday after being fired by President Donald Trump. Fong was one of the 17 general inspectors from federal agencies that Trump fired, according to Food Safety Magazine reports. Sources told Reuters Fong had spoken with co-workers about her plans to return…