(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration fired the unbiased inspectors normal of greater than a dozen main authorities companies late on Friday, U.S. media reported.

The companies embrace the departments of protection, state, transportation, veterans affairs, housing and concrete improvement, inside, and vitality, Washington Put up mentioned, citing unnamed folks aware of the matter.

The New York Occasions (NYSE:) mentioned the purge affected 17 companies however spared the Division of Justice inspector normal, Michael Horowitz.

The Put up mentioned the firings “appeared to violate federal law, which requires Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire the inspectors general.”

The White Home didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the studies.

An inspector normal is an unbiased place that conducts audits, investigations and inspectors into allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. They are often eliminated by the president or the company head, relying on who nominated or appointed them.

Most of these dismissed had been appointees from Trump’s 2017-2021 first time period, the Put up reporting, saying these affected had been notified by emails from the White Home personnel director that they’d been terminated efficient instantly.