San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the abrupt demotion of Acting Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and removal from his position as head of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee created in the CARES Act, less than a week after his appointment:

“The sudden removal and replacement of Acting Inspector General Fine is part of a disturbing pattern of retaliation by the President against independent overseers fulfilling their statutory and patriotic duties to conduct oversight on behalf of the American people.

“Since Day One, the President has tried to marginalize and exercise ultimate control over independent Inspectors General. Yet again, he is doubling down on his signing statement promise to disregard critical oversight provisions that hold the Administration accountable to the law. The removal of Acting Inspector General Fine takes place just days after his shameful late-night firing of Intelligence Community Inspector General Atkinson and his nomination of one of his own lawyers to oversee the Treasury Department’s implementation of the CARES Act.

“The President’s violation of oversight appears to be a reaction to Congressional Democrats transforming the CARES Act from corporations-focused to workers-first, requiring that taxpayer dollars given to industry go to workers’ paychecks and benefits, not be used for CEO bonuses, stock buybacks or dividends. We will continue to exercise our oversight to ensure that this historic investment of taxpayer dollars is being used wisely and efficiently to help workers and families.”