In an email to colleagues on Saturday, reviewed by Reuters, she said the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency “has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.

In a dramatic turn of events, Phyllis Fong, the USDA Inspector General, was escorted out of her office for refusing to comply with her dismissal by the Trump administration. This incident raises questions about the legality and motivations behind her firing and the broader implications for federal oversight.