A Pentagon official told CNN that Glenn Fine, the deputy chief defense inspector general, had not been ordered to resign and did so on his own initiative. Still, Trump replaced Fine as the Pentagon's acting inspector general last month rather than allowing him to remain in office until a permanent candidate was confirmed, a move that was seen as an effort to thwart his leadership of the coronavirus liability review.
Fine's resignation takes effect on June 1, according to DOD IG spokesperson Dwrena Allen.
"It was an honor to serve in the Inspector General community, both as Inspector General of the Department of Justice and as Acting Inspector General of the DoD and Senior Assistant Inspector General serving as Inspector General of the DoD" said Fine in a statement. . "The role of the Inspector General is a strength of our system of government. They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent manner."
"They are a vital component of our checks and balances system, and I am grateful to have been part of this system. After many years in the DoJ and DoD IGOs, I believe the time has come for me to resign and allow others to fulfill this vital role. I wish the men and women of the DoD OIG and the inspector general community to be successful in these important responsibilities, "he added.
Mattis calls resignation "regrettable"
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis praised Fine and said his resignation was "regrettable" in a statement to CNN.
"It is unfortunate to see a patriot and such a competent and non-partisan public servant leaving the public service. Mr. Glenn Fine represents all that is noble in taking on the hard work of keeping the government honest and responsive. He will be missed," said Mattis. .
Fine's resignation comes after Trump sacked State Department Inspector General Steve Linick earlier this month, the latest in a series of layoffs of independent government watchdogs following the acquittal of the president on articles of dismissal.
Trump has now removed or expelled several inspectors general after his acquittal in the Senate in early February, including the late dismissal on Friday of intelligence community watchdog Michael Atkinson, who informed Congress of the whistleblower complaint that sparked the process of dismissal.
CNN also previously reported that the president had long been determined to rid his administration of the government watchdogs he considers Obama loyalists and now appears to be working towards that goal.
The sequence of events reflects Trump's weak vision of government oversight, particularly when it presents embarrassing facts. For Trump, who expects loyalty from all corners of his administration, the work of the IG offices is a hallmark of what he often laughs at as the "deep state" - a politically motivated permanent bureaucracy designed to undermine it.
Several sources previously told CNN that Trump has long sought to remove Fine, a career civil servant, from the Obama administration. This effort intensified after Fine was selected by his peers to chair the pandemic response monitoring group charged with preventing "waste, fraud and abuse" in the use of relief funds for coronavirus.
But after having been removed from his duties as DoD IG and effectively demoted to the assistant position in which he had previously exercised his functions, Fine could no longer chair the pandemic surveillance committee, this position being limited to inspectors general or acting inspectors general.
At the time, a Defense Department spokesperson did not explain why Fine had been removed from his duties as Acting Inspector General, but explained that this meant that he was no longer eligible for stay on the accountability committee.
Trump resisted surveillance
In fact, much of the surveillance apparatus in the relief package was a concession from Trump, who resisted democratic efforts to create the commission and then canceled any real authority he held with an accompanying signing statement to the bill.
"My administration will treat this provision as hortatory but not compulsory," the president wrote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Anderson Cooper of CNN last month that the removal of Fine was a "problem" and a sign that the president was seeking to entrust "some of his loyalists" with the responsibility of overseeing the how relief money is spent.
"It's really a problem," she said, adding that Trump believed he could exercise his own oversight over the implementation of the stimulus package and "was sending some of his followers."
Many IG community members and whistleblowers believe that career leaders on the Pandemic Accountability Committee are most at risk, including Mr. J. IG Michael Horowitz, who also leads the IG group with the power to choose the chair of this committee.
While Horowitz remains in his role, current and former officials warn that, as with any decision made by Trump, that could change with just one tweet. The fact that Horowitz published highly critical investigations into the FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton's politically sensitive polls and the President's campaign could help protect him, congressional sources and justice officials said. CNN.
Horowitz has won high marks with key legislators, including Grassley and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and he also enjoys good relationships with Attorney General William Barr, officials note.
CNN's Vivian Salama contributed to this report.
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