USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong Removed After Refusing Termination Conditions
Phyllis Fong, the former USDA inspector general, was removed from her position after refusing termination conditions, amid investigations into animal welfare at Neuralink and other issues.
Phyllis Fong, the fired inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was removed from her Washington D.C. office on Monday after she refused to comply with the conditions of her termination.
A 22-year veteran of the department, which investigates food safety and animal welfare, Fong's office has been conducting investigations into Elon Musk's brain implant startup Neuralink, as well as looking into the listeria outbreak involving Boar's Head.
The USDA initiated a federal investigation into Neuralink in 2022 for potential animal-welfare violations. This followed complaints from internal staff about the unnecessary suffering and deaths of animals during testing, as reported by Reuters.
On Friday, Fong was among 17 federal watchdogs dismissed by the Trump administration. She informed her colleagues via email that she planned to remain in her position, claiming that "these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time."
Upon her arrival at the USDA office on Monday morning, Fong was escorted out by security personnel, according to sources.
The White House issued a statement referring to Fong and other inspector generals as "rogue, partisan bureaucrats" and emphasized that they had been removed to allow for the appointment of qualified individuals who would uphold the rule of law and support Democracy.
