BRUNSWICK, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the President informed the congressional Intelligence Committees of his intention to dismiss Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson:

“In these turbulent times marked by unprecedented, complicated threats, we must place a premium on informed advice, straight talk, hard truths, and clear thinking. Making sure we’re gathering and listening to the best possible information – even when we don’t like it – can help us save American lives by preventing us from entering unnecessary foreign conflicts or sniffing out threats to American lives and interests.

“The removal of Michael Atkinson as Inspector General to the Intelligence Community will create a vacuum of professional, honorable and objective judgment in a position explicitly designed to be independent and clear-eyed. Furthermore, the late-Friday timing and motivations outlined in this announcement are concerning, and I will be pursuing more answers and clarity in the days ahead – including whether and how much of this news is more political than policy-oriented. Congress may not be in our offices, but we are very much hard at work to protect the American people from the coronavirus, threats at home and abroad, and misuses of power that will threaten our centuries-old belief that no man is above the law.

“It's a President's prerogative to bring on staffers of this magnitude or remove them, but it’s also his duty to understand the job description.  In his letter to Congress explaining his decision late Friday night, the President said that the Inspector General must ‘promote the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of federal programs and activities.’ As I said at Mr. Atkinson's confirmation hearing to bipartisan agreement at that time, his client was to be the Constitution – not a particular President – and his job was to maintain the essence of checks and balances that otherwise just aren't there.

“When America has more hard thinkers with independent, evidence-based judgment, we are all safer and stronger. The dismissal of Michael Atkinson is harmful not only because of the removal of one man’s work, but the message it sends to everyone in the Intelligence Community who are trying to fulfill the agency’s goals: to seek the truth and speak the truth. When speaking the truth leads to potential retribution, we know less and are at increased risk; the world we live in is darker and more dangerous. President Trump is taking these actions to protect himself – but in the process, he risks making the entire country less safe.”