Dan Goldman: Inspector Gen. Horowitz Is ‘Independent’ But When He Turns to Patel and Bondi, They’re Under Trump’s ‘Political Thumb’

MENENDEZ So when you ░░░░░░░░ at this letter from ░░░░░░░░ Taylor attorney to the ░░░░░░░░ inspectors general one at ░░░░░░░░ one at DoJ do ░░░░░░░░ think it s still ░░░░░░░░ to assume that they ░░░░░░░░ in fact operating independently ░░░░░░░░ Goldman Well the interesting ░░░░░░░░ about the Department of ░░░░░░░░ is that the inspector ░░░░░░░░ there is Michael Horowitz ░░░░░░░░ he has remained there ░░░░░░░░ has been the inspector ░░░░░░░░ for some time Pretty ░░░░░░░░ every other inspector general ░░░░░░░░ been removed by Donald ░░░░░░░░ because he again does ░░░░░░░░ want there to be ░░░░░░░░ accountability for him or ░░░░░░░░ executive Branch But Michael ░░░░░░░░ is an independent inspector ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ he will do with ░░░░░░░░ letter whether he will ░░░░░░░░ investigate it Usually he ░░░░░░░░ it to a different ░░░░░░░░ of the Department of ░░░░░░░░ that investigates these ethics ░░░░░░░░ but he can t ░░░░░░░░ that here Realistically he ░░░░░░░░ do that because whatever ░░░░░░░░ section he goes to ░░░░░░░░ under the political thumb ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump Pam Bondi ░░░░░░░░ Patel And so it ░░░░░░░░ is incumbent upon Michael ░░░░░░░░ if he s going ░░░░░░░░ do his job as ░░░░░░░░ independent inspector general to ░░░░░░░░ on this investigation and ░░░░░░░░ see whether or not ░░░░░░░░ is a legitimate predicate ░░░░░░░░ initiating an investigation into ░░░░░░░░ who by all accounts ░░░░░░░░ said things that Donald ░░░░░░░░ doesn’t like.”