Harris Statement on Firing of Intelligence Community Inspector General

Statement

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, on Saturday released a statement following President Trump's firing of Michael Atkinson as Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. Last year, Atkinson alerted Congress to the whistleblower complaint that ultimately led the House to impeach the president.

"The firing of the Intelligence Community's Inspector General, just months after ousting the Acting Director of National Intelligence, is further evidence Trump will do anything he can to escape oversight and will punish anyone he believes isn't sufficiently loyal to him personally," said Harris. "The men and women who serve their country within the Intelligence Community must be able to fulfill their duties free of political interference. As a member of the Intelligence Committee, I will continue to insist on vigorous oversight of this administration's management of our intelligence agencies."

"This firing also shows that even in the midst of a deadly pandemic, the president is obsessed with settling scores over impeachment. Americans must be able to trust that their leaders are focused on solving problems and saving lives, not political revenge," Harris added.

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