Security agents removed Phyllis Fong, USDA’s inspector general, from her office after she refused to accept her firing by the Trump administration, sources told Reuters.
Fong, a 22-year department veteran, argued the dismissal violated federal law. She was among 17 federal watchdogs fired Jan. 24 in what critics called a “Friday-night purge.” Defending the move, President Donald Trump said, “It’s a very common thing to do.” The White House claimed the firings targeted “rogue, partisan bureaucrats.”
The inspector general’s office oversees food safety and animal welfare investigations, including concerns about the spread of avian flu among livestock and poultry.
