Lawmaker Launches Investigation Into SES Reassignments

Government Executive: House Democrats are pushing back on the Trump administration’s quest to reassign senior executives in government, launching an investigation into job movements at the Interior Department.

The reassignments “raise serious concerns” about retaliation and wasteful spending, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., wrote in a recent letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Cummings requested documents related to new positions for about 50 Senior Executive Service employees earlier this year. The reassignments caused a particular stir after Joel Clement blew the whistle on alleged retaliation, saying his new job minimized his skillset and that he was transferred to the new position as a direct result of his speaking out on climate change. Clement recently resigned from the department, months after bringing the alleged reprisal to light.

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