Phyllis Fong, who was investigating Elon Musk's brain implant startup Neuralink, "forcefully removed from office" after refusing termination order

Phyllis Fong, the USDA inspector general, was escorted out of her office after disputing her dismissal by the Trump administration, citing improper procedures. The White House defended the move, describing the firings as necessary to replace partisan bureaucrats. Fong had overseen significant probes into food safety and animal welfare.

Phyllis Fong, the US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General, was reportedly recently forcibly removed from her office by security personnel after refusing to accept her termination by the US President Donald Trump’s administration. According to a report by new agency Reuters, Phyllis Fong, who had been in the US Department of Agriculture for 22 years, told colleagues that she intended to stay in her role despite being terminated by the White House.

Citing sources, the report noted that Fong argued the administration had not followed proper procedures. According to her USDA biography, Fong previously served as the first chairperson of CIGIE from 2008 to 2014.

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In an email to colleagues, reportedly reviewed by Reuters, Fong cited the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. The council had concluded that the termination notices lacked legal compliance and were therefore ineffective.

In 2022, Fong’s office launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s brain implant company, Neuralink, which remains ongoing, sources said. In recent years, the office has also investigated animal abuse at research dog breeders and the listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head, among other issues.

The White House defended the dismissals of Fong and other inspectors general, claiming that “these rogue, partisan bureaucrats… have been relieved of their duties to make way for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy.”

As USDA’s inspector general, Fong oversaw a broad range of responsibilities, including consumer food safety, audits, and investigations into the Agriculture Department, as well as enforcement of animal welfare laws. The USDA has been central to concerns over the spread of bird flu, which has affected cattle and poultry and resulted in a fatality in Louisiana.

Fong was one of 17 federal watchdogs recently dismissed by Trump, a move critics have labeled a “Friday-night purge.”

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