Schumer, Brown Tell Pandemic Watchdog to Resist Trump Pressure
Schumer, Brown Tell Pandemic Watchdog to Resist Trump Pressure
(Bloomberg) -- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Sherrod Brown, the Banking Committee’s top Democrat, told the new watchdog in charge of overseeing the pandemic corporate bailout fund that they are concerned that he won’t be independent from his former employer: The White House.
Brian Miller, the newly confirmed special inspector general for pandemic recovery, had most recently served as a White House lawyer and participated in President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense.
“You must resist influence or pressure, uphold the law, and protect taxpayers’ interests -- even if it places your job at risk,” the senators said in the letter Tuesday. “Ultimately, your duty is to the American people, not the president.”
Miller, who was sworn in as earlier this month, will lead the examination and scrutiny of trillions of dollars of federal loans and grants from the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to airlines, national security companies and other businesses seeking low-interest loans.
He has said he won’t be influenced by his former boss, who has demoted or removed several inspectors general whose work he didn’t like.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Miller said he had shown his independence in the past, including through aggressive investigations as inspector general at the General Services Administration during President George W. Bush’s administration.
Inspectors general, who are supposed to look into possible wrongdoing, waste and fraud within the government, are appointed by the administration and can be fired by the president at-will.
“If you encounter any obstacles to fulfilling your duties, you must immediately report them to Congress,” Schumer and Brown wrote.
Miller, who said he will hire about 75-100 staff members for his office, is required to publish his first public report in early August.
The inspector general’s office was created as part of the $2.2 trillion Cares Act that Congress passed in March and will operate out of the Treasury.
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