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Trump Fires Three Inspectors With Oversight on Food Agencies

Jan. 28, 2025

Whether it’s house-cleaning or the removal of his perceived obstacles, inspectors general at USDA, HHS and EPA were among those fired last week.

Dave Fusaro

Among the 17 inspectors general that Trump fired last Friday (Jan. 24), at least three were in agencies that directly or indirectly oversee the food & beverage industry.

Those fired include Phyllis Fong, USDA inspector, who was nominated by President George W. Bush and had been on the job for 22 years; Christi Grimm in the Dept. of Health and Human Services, parent of the FDA, who was appointed by President Biden; and EPA Inspector Sean O’Donnell, who was appointed by Trump himself during his first term.

Inspectors general (IGs) are intended to be independent investigators and auditors of perceived malfeasance, fraud, waste or abuse by a government agency or its personnel. They issue reports and recommendations to Congress.

Trump defended his actions as part of his house-cleaning, saying “It’s a very common thing to do.” But to maintain their independence, most IGs are retained by a new administration, as evidenced by Fong’s appointment by President George W. Bush.

Even some Republicans in Congress said the new president may have violated law that requires 30 days notice to Congress with rationale. And Democrats saw it as a way to remove oversight on Trump himself and his appointees to the affected federal agencies. Trump is expected to appoint new IGs.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.