(DCNF)—Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida came out in defense of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari in a Monday letter after an independent panel and several lawmakers called for his “politically convenient” removal.
Cuffari, whose investigations have been critical of the border crisis and security failures that led to the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump as well as the federal response to Hurricane Helene, has faced calls to resign after a Wednesday report from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) alleged that he “abused his power” during “retaliatory investigations” against former employees. Gaetz called this investigation’s timing “telling” and “gross,” saying that his removal “would look like a cover-up,” according to the letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“You have independent oversight over the nerve center of the D.C. swamp, and the knives are out for you,” Gaetz said in the letter. “I am very concerned that Vice President Harris and others who want to cover up the open border and the assassination attempts on former President Trump will be calling for your firing and privately leaning on President Biden to remove you.”
After the report was released, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin, who serves as ranking member for the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Bennie Thompson, who serves as ranking member for the House Committee on Homeland Security, called on Biden to remove Cuffari, who was appointed by Trump and confirmed in 2019.
“In the wake of the independent and nonpartisan CIGIE Integrity Committee’s report documenting IG Cuffari’s misconduct, we call on President Biden to remove him as inspector general of DHS,” Raskin and Thompson said in a joint press release. “CIGIE’s report confirms the findings of our own multi-year investigation, which is that DHS Inspector General Cuffari misled Congress during his confirmation to become an inspector general and, after becoming an inspector general, once again misled Congress and proceeded to blatantly abuse his powers and waste millions in taxpayer dollars.”
Gaetz pushed back in the letter and pointed out that both he and FBI Director Christopher Wray object to Cuffari’s removal.
“It would look like a cover-up on the part of President Biden and Vice President Harris,” Gaetz said in the letter. “Given two assassination attempts on former President Trump, your continued oversight responsibilities related to the Southern border crisis, and now the numerous whistleblowers coming forward about FEMA mismanagement of the Hurricane Helene response, removing you might be politically convenient for those in power, but Americans would see it as a dirty trick.”
“It is telling, and rather gross, that this report comes out right before the November election,” Gaetz said in the letter. “After all, your office has oversight over parts of the Department of Homeland Security that might be asleep at the wheel as our election technology is penetrated by foreign adversaries.”