From wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars to covering up failures, government agencies can do a lot of damage — absent accountability. Inspectors general (IGs) across federal, state and local governments (try to) keep bureaucrats honest and make sure Americans are informed about government shenanigans.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration is throwing a wrench into this essential public service. According to a report from Politico, “President Donald Trump fired multiple independent federal watchdogs, known as inspectors general, in a Friday night purge.” Besides the legal issues with this “purge,” the president’s mass firing will have the nation’s watchdogs scrambling to self-censor instead of holding their agencies accountable. President Trump must reverse course immediately and provide ample documentation for any IG firings.

It’s raining pink slips at IG offices across the country. Politico notes that the number of fired IGs “is at least a dozen and includes inspectors general at the departments of State, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Labor and Defense, as well as the Small Business Administration, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.” One clear issue with these firings is an apparent lack of legality. Before sacking these public servants, federal law requires the president to give lawmakers a month’s notice and a substantive explanation for the firing. It isn’t only Democrats who are pointing this out. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) rightly noted, “There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so. I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30-day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.”

This is about more than just legal minutiae. IGs regularly produce detailed reports highlighting the many misdeeds and mistakes of federal officials. In fiscal year 2024, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) IG Office issued 22 audit reports saving taxpayers more than $760 million. Without the watchdog calling out the DOT, agency officials would likely still be mismanaging its equipment, not following through on cybersecurity monitoring and not retaining proper documents for contracts. Companies would continue bid rigging on government contracts, bilking taxpayers out of millions of dollars. And, nefarious individuals would feel free to continue paying cash bribes to third-party examiners to fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses.

Without the help of hardworking IGs, nonprofit watchdogs such as the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) would have a far more difficult time protecting taxpayers and consumers. When TPA and other watchdog groups raised alarm about the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) spying on Americans in 2021, the IG leapt into the fray and conducted its own analysis about the legality of postal snooping. Spoiler alert: the USPS’ creepy social media surveillance “exceed[s] … law enforcement authority.”

The USPS IG has also been busy holding the agency accountable for not being more proactive in fighting postal crime.

According to a 2021 IG audit of the Postal Inspection Service’s Washington division, “postal inspectors did not attach required field notes for 14 of 40 cases (35%)” examined in fiscal year 2020. This is a significant omission because “when postal inspectors are not adequately documenting investigative activities through field notes, they risk relying on alternative documentation when testifying to recall events that occurred months or, sometimes, years ago, which could affect their testimony (during court proceedings).” Half of all cases lacked the electronic communications necessary to keep national headquarters apprised about field investigations. This, of course, is critical for developing cases and holding criminals accountable.

IGs are uniquely positioned to point out these problems and demand changes. But, when the White House wantonly fires IGs, it sends a chilling message to the rest of the watchdog community.

The war against IGs is not limited to the federal government. The Atlanta City Council has been busy trying to take away IG Shannon Manigault’s investigative powers despite rampant crime and corruption among the city’s top brass.

And, Baltimore City IG Isabel Mercedes Cumming has taken considerable heat for standing up to Charm City’s corruption-plagued government. Cumming investigated Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, known for her lavish international trips on the taxpayer’s dime and problems accurately reporting her finances. Following the release of a report detailing Mosby’s many ethically dubious travel expenditures, Mosby’s lawyers pressured the IG office to revise the report to make the embattled attorney look better. Cumming stood firm, responding, “No. I’m standing behind my report.” And, now that Mosby has been convicted for fraud and perjury, Cumming’s decision to not waver in holding her accountable looks all the better.

These taxpayer heroes deserve all the help they can get. The president, Congress and local leaders should recognize the many contributions of America’s watchdogs and keep them in their rightful place.

David Williams is the president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.