In a recent opinion piece published in The Hill, whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn argued that the firing of Intelligence Community Inspector General (IG) Michael Atkinson will impact how the government handles the coronavirus crisis.
“The integrity of the government’ oversight and accountability programs are called into question, as well as the ability of the government to respond honestly, ethically and effectively to the coronavirus pandemic,” Kohn said.
According to Kohn, IGs will play a key role in monitoring the massive spending that will accompany the economic fallout triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.
“Inspectors general are the front-line police with the responsibility to ensure the integrity of the trillions of dollars being spent to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic,” Kohn continued. “They have jurisdiction to investigate threats to the public health and safety and protect whistleblowers.”
Read: How the firing inspector general Atkinson impacts the government’s ability to fight coronavirus.
