Judge declines to reinstate eight former inspectors general

A federal judge on Wednesday declined to reinstate eight former inspectors general who sued after President Donald Trump dismissed 17 agency watchdogs without advance explanation, saying the officials had not shown the irreparable harm required to justify immediate reinstatement. U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes found that the president likely violated the statutory removal procedures for inspectors general but that court-ordered reinstatement would be ineffective and unnecessary while the lawsuit proceeds.

The eight plaintiffs were among the 17 inspectors general removed on Jan. 24, each notified by an identical two-sentence White House email that cited unspecified "changing priorities." Plaintiffs contend the administration breached the Inspector General Act by failing to give Congress the required 30-day notice and by not providing a substantive, case-specific rationale for the dismissals. Government lawyers argued the president retains broad authority to remove inspectors general and need not show cause or wait 30 days after notice to take action.

In a 20-page opinion, Judge Reyes acknowledged the plaintiffs' legal arguments and wrote that the administration likely violated...