Cuffari has balked at taking necessary actions that an independent watchdog would take. He questioned why his staff would need to interview the then-acting DHS secretary (who had been head of Customs and Border Protection) in a review examining what agency leaders knew about a controversial Facebook group filled with racist and sexist messages by current and former Border Patrol employees. Similarly, Cuffari’s top aides restricted how long rank-and-file watchdog staff could interview Wolf and Cuccinelli in a whistleblower retaliation investigation.

Removing an inspector general is a serious decision. The success of an inspector general’s office is dependent on the office’s independence and its ability to investigate and expose abuse without fear of retribution. But there must be consequences when an inspector general fails to conduct rigorous oversight and report severe problems.

The White House should not tolerate watchdogs who fail to hold their agencies accountable for egregious misconduct, and whose evasiveness and failure to take responsibility serve as a promise they will continue to do so. By failing to remove Cuffari for his significant failings as inspector general, the president is allowing a vital federal department, one with the profound power to affect civil liberties, to go without a credible watchdog.