Daily Times

The Defense Department’s deputy inspector general, Glenn Fine resigned on Tuesday more than a month after the US President Donald Trump administration removed him as the Pentagon’s acting inspector general, becoming the latest official in a federal oversight role to depart.

Glenn Fine’s resignation comes after the Trump administration removed him and three other government inspectors general, who seek to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, in recent weeks.

Most recently the State Department’s inspector general, Steve Linick, was fired. That ousting prompted heavy criticism from senior Democratic lawmakers.

“I believe the time has come for me to step down and allow others to perform this vital role,” Fine said in a statement.

“The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government. They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way,” Fine added.

Fine had been performing the duties of the Pentagon’s lead inspector general when he was removed by Trump in early April. In that role, he had been charged with overseeing the government’s $2.3 trillion coronavirus response before Trump removed him.