Trump Fires Export-Import Bank Inspector General as Oversight Purge Continues

President Trump fired Parisa Salehi, Export-Import Bank inspector general, as part of broader oversight elimination that has removed or sidelined approximately two dozen inspectors general. The administration has defunded watchdog councils responsible for coordinating independent oversight across government agencies. The systematic purge eliminates the last remaining check on executive branch corruption and misconduct by removing officials specifically tasked with investigating waste, fraud, and abuse. Inspectors general—designed to provide independent oversight regardless of political pressure—have been replaced with acting officials loyal to Trump or positions left vacant entirely. The destruction of inspector general offices enables unchecked corruption by removing the primary mechanism for internal accountability. The purge represents one of the most consequential attacks on government oversight in American history.