| Резюме: | President Donald Trump abruptly fired the inspector general of the intelligence community, sidelining an independent watchdog who played a pivotal role in his impeachment even as his White House struggles with the deepening coronavirus pandemic. Trump informed the House and Senate intelligence committees late Friday of his decision to fire Michael Atkinson, according to letters obtained by The Associated Press. Atkinson handled the anonymous whistleblower complaint that triggered Trump’s impeachment last year. His removal is part of a larger shakeup of the intelligence community under Trump, who has always viewed intelligence professionals with skepticism. Democrats reacted swiftly, saying the firing would have a “chilling effect” and was “unconscionable” during a pandemic. And a prominent Senate Republican said the administration needed to provide more information about why Atkinson was fired. Trump defended his actions Saturday in response to a question during a White House briefing on the coronavirus outbreak. He said that Atkinson “took this terrible, inaccurate whistleblower report and he brought it to Congress.” “And over that,” he said, “dishonest Democrats impeached a president of the United States. That man is a disgrace to IGs,” Trump asserted. In the letter ton Congress, Trump said that it is “vital” that he has confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general, and “that is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general.” He did not elaborate, except to say that “it is extremely important that we promote the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of federal programs and activities,” and that inspectors general are critical to those goals. The head of the council representing inspectors general throughout government said Atkinson was known for his “integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight,” an implicit suggestion that Trump’s criticism stems from a sense of a loss of loyalty from an official who is supposed to be independent. Trump said in the letter to the Senate that Atkinson would be removed from office in 30 days, the required amount of time he must wait after informing Congress. He wrote that he would nominate an individual “who has my full confidence” at a later date. According to two congressional officials, Atkinson has been placed on administrative leave, meaning he will not serve out the 30 days. One of the officials said Atkinson was only informed of his removal on Friday night. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Atkinson’s administrative leave has not been announced. Atkinson was the first to inform Congress about the anonymous whistleblower complaint last year that described Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and his son. That complaint prompted a House investigation that ultimately resulted in Trump’s impeachment. Atkinson informed lawmakers of the existence of the complaint in September, saying he believed the complaint was “urgent” and “credible.” But the acting director of national intelligence at the time, Joseph Maguire, said he did not believe it met the definition of “urgent,” and tried to withhold it from Congress. The complaint was eventually released after a firestorm, and it revealed that Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July call to investigate the Bidens. The House launched an inquiry in September, and three months later voted to impeach Trump. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump in February. Atkinson’s firing thrusts the president’s impeachment […]
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