WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, wrote to President Trump to express her strong opposition to his removal of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Acting Inspector General (IG) Mitchell Behm without adequate cause or notice. Duckworth also noted her opposition to Trump’s decision to give Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Administrator Skip Elliot a second job as the new DOT Inspector General, where he will be tasked with conducting oversight over himself in his original role as PHMSA Administrator.
“Over the past two months, you have removed or fired five long-time public servants from critical oversight positions leading their agencies’ inspector general offices without adequate cause. These actions appear to be an effort to shield yourself and your political allies from public scrutiny and contrary to the statutory goals of the Inspector General Act of 1978,” wrote Duckworth. “A system where USDOT Acting IG Skip Elliott is charged with auditing and investigating the actions of PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott makes a mockery of the entire system of independent Federal agency inspectors general.”
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Duckworth also noted: “You have created a tremendous conflict of interest for Mr. Elliott as Acting Inspector General and PHMSA Administrator and you undermine the safety and security of our national pipeline and hazardous material system. Even if Acting Inspector General Elliott recuses himself from matters related to PHMSA Administrator Elliott, this would not correct the appearance of a conflict of interest – nor will it guarantee that a real conflict of interest does not develop.”
A full copy of the letter is available online here.
