Statement in Response to Firing of Inspector General Michael Atkinson - Checks and Balances

Statement in Response to Firing of Inspector General Michael Atkinson - Checks and Balances: April 7, 2020 
Not even a global public health crisis has kept the president from his continuous assault on the rule of law. Last week, President Trump notified Congress that he is firing the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson. Mr. Atkinson performed an important public service, as required by his official duties, in advancing the whistleblower complaint to Congress, which launched impeachment proceedings. 

Although the Senate ultimately voted not to convict and remove the president from office, the impeachment hearings included extensive witness testimony from current and former senior government officials that corroborated the accuracy of the initial whistleblower complaint. Throughout those proceedings, Mr. Atkinson conducted himself professionally and in accordance with his responsibilities. 
 Mr. Atkinson has released a public statement regarding his dismissal, explaining that “it is hard not to think that the President’s loss of confidence” in him is directly derived from his “having faithfully discharged [his] legal obligations as an independent and impartial Inspector General[.]”  As he points out, protecting whistleblowers is, necessarily, and legally,  a nonpartisan responsibility.
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Jonathan H. Adler
Donald B. Ayer
C. Frederick Beckner III
John B. Bellinger III
George T. Conway III
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Charles Fried
Stuart M. Gerson
D. Lowell Jensen
Peter D. Keisler
Edward J. Larson
Irina D. Manta
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