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New Delhi
US President Donald Trump on Friday ousted State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. The move resulted in heavy criticism from senior Democratic lawmakers, including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Trump said in a letter to Pelosi that he no longer had confidence in the inspector general's ability to serve, though he did not give the reason for his loss of confidence, according to Reuters.
"This is to advise that I am exercising my power as President to remove from office the Inspector General of the Department of State, effective 30 days from today," he was quoted as saying.
The letter did not mention about who would replace Linick, who was appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration and is the latest in a string of government watchdogs to be removed in recent weeks.
However, the US Department of State said that he would be replaced by Stephen Akard, the director of the Office of Foreign Missions.