US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — Donald Trump notified the US Congress on Friday of the dismissal of the Inspector General of the United States Intelligence Service who was involved in the launch last year of the pre-removal investigation against the President .
In a letter to eminent parliamentarians, the White House chief says he intends to part with Michael Atkinson in 30 days, saying it is “vital that I have complete confidence in those appointed as inspectors general” .
“This is no longer the case” with regard to the current inspector general, adds Donald Trump.
An American official said Thomas Monheim, who has spent his entire intelligence career, will be acting at the station.
Michael Atkinson, who was appointed by Donald Trump, said a whistleblower’s report last year believed that the President had abused his power in seeking Ukraine‘s help to serve his personal political interests.
He also expressed concern about a potential risk to national security in the United States with Donald Trump’s request to his Ukrainian counterpart to open an investigation into Joe Biden, Trump’s possible Democratic rival for the US presidential election next November.
This telephone interview last July between the American and Ukrainian presidents was at the origin of the impeachment procedure initiated by the Democratic opposition.
Several weeks of hearings ensued, during which the partisan lines opposed. The House of Representatives, controlled by the Democrats, voted last December to indict Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress before the Senate, where the Republicans are in the majority, acquits these charges.
Two days after his acquittal, in early February, the Republican president asked his administration to dismiss two representatives who had given evidence prejudicial to him during the hearings led by the Democrats.
An elected Democrat has criticized Trump’s decision to sack Atkinson, particularly with the health crisis in the United States.
“In the midst of a national emergency, it is unacceptable that the president should once again try to damage the integrity of the intelligence community by dismissing another intelligence official simply because he did his job,” said Senator Mark Warner, the highest Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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