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NO ONE TO SAY NO

A kid is out on the street and breaks a window. No one saw him do it. No one told him “No”. And no one is there to follow up on it. So, he did nothing wrong. Right? Nothing illegal? 

After all, if you don’t have to ask for permission, or have any oversight, anything is possible.

After the government abuses of Watergate, Congress passed the Inspector General Act of 1978. It created nonpartisan, independent offices in federal agencies that made sure those agencies followed the rules. Inspectors General (IGs) are important watchdogs of the federal government. They look for waste, fraud and abuse, and saved taxpayers over $70 billion in 2024 alone.

Days after taking office, President Trump fired 17 of the 26 appointed Inspectors General. They were not replaced. 

One example of this loss can be seen in the Office of Professional Responsibility. This is an internal watchdog in the Justice Department, Homeland Security agencies, and other departments. It investigates employee misconduct. It also guards against lawyers who abuse their power, lie, act unethically, or break the rules that prosecutors must follow.

Sharad Swaney, who writes for the Substack site Sharad’s Room, reported that investigations by Reuters showed nearly half the workers at the Office of Professional Responsibility left during Trump's second term.

The Justice Department has enormous power over ordinary people. That kind of power needs to be watched and controlled. There must be people with the authority to review how that power is used. If there are fewer and fewer of these people, the people with power have more freedom to act without being checked.

Fewer investigators means fewer investigations. These take a lot of work. IGs must check documents, emails, court filings, conduct interviews, and much more. As complaints pile up, and staffing decreases, there are fewer investigations. Everything slows down. Loyalists chosen by the administration can also tell staff to avoid investigating complaints the government does not want examined.

The Republican majority in Congress could say “no”, but they won’t. Normal ways to legally say “no” are weakened or blocked. So, that means whatever happens becomes legal, right? NO.

By Ben Boardman and Friends.

Barn Owl is paid for by Ace Allen, in loving memory of his Linn County grandparents: Bessie Epps Hart (Graham) and John Talbot Graham, 

Submit comments or questions to ace.allen@me.com