
Democrats accuse the president of trying to
settle scores by firing senior official Michael Atkinson
US President Donald Trump
has fired a senior official who first alerted Congress to a whistleblower
complaint that led to his impeachment trial.
Mr Trump said he no longer
had confidence in Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence
community.
Democrats said the
president was settling scores during a national emergency caused by the
coronavirus.
They also accused him of
trying to undermine the intelligence community.
Last year, Mr Atkinson
informed Congress of the complaint that President Trump had allegedly abused
his office by pressuring Ukraine to open an investigation into Democratic
presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.
In letters to Congress, Mr
Atkinson described the complaint as "urgent" and
"credible".
The Democratic-majority House
of Representatives voted to impeach the president, but a trial in the
Republican-led Senate later acquitted him of all charges.
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On Friday, Mr Trump
notified Congress that Mr Atkinson would be removed from his post within 30
days. Sources told the Associated Press the official had been placed on
administrative leave and would not serve out his 30 days.
"It is vital that I
have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors
general," Mr Trump wrote. "This is no longer the case with regard to
this inspector general."
He said he would name a
successor "at a later date". Officials quoted by Reuters said Thomas
Monheim, a career intelligence professional, would serve as acting inspector
general in the meantime.
Democrats reacted angrily
to the move.
"In the midst of a
national emergency, it is unconscionable that the president is once again
attempting to undermine the integrity of the intelligence community by firing
yet another intelligence official simply for doing his job," said Senator
Mark Warner, the most senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Congressman Adam Schiff, who chaired the
House impeachment hearings, said "the president's dead of night decision
puts our country and national security at even greater risk."
"President
Trump's decision to fire intelligence community inspector General Michael
Atkinson is yet another blatant attempt by the president to gut the
independence of the intelligence community and retaliate against those who dare
to expose presidential wrongdoing," he said.
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