Collage by James Bovard.

Some folks who know my work presume that I am implacably opposed to all federal agencies. Not true. I have always appreciated federal agencies that exposed the waste, fraud, abuse, and brazen lies committed by politicians and bureaucrats.

The Trump administration has warred against such truth-tellers since its first week in office. On January 24, President Trump fired 17 inspector generals working for a wide array of federal agencies. Trump’s action jolted Washington because most of those officials could supposedly only be removed for cause — specific misconduct or other abuses. Trump also scorned the federal law requiring giving Congress 30-days notice before terminating such officials. Some of those inspectors had done excellent work.

A White House official justified the firings: “These rogue, partisan bureaucrats who have weaponized the justice system against their political enemies are no longer fit or deserve to serve in their appointed positions.” The official said the firings will “make room for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy.”

But does the Trump version of “rule of law” go beyond hiding all government crimes?

Among the initial firings was John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Sopko was one of the most heroic truth tellers in modern Washington. He withstood fierce pressure from multiple presidents to debunk official propaganda on the Afghanistan war:

In 2014, Sopko revealed: “I was stunned when senior State Department officials on my first trip to Kabul suggested how we should write our reports. They even suggested changes to our report titles and proposed that we give them our press releases in advance so they could pre-approve them.”

In 2019, Sopko declared that “the American people have constantly been lied to”........

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