SAN FRANCISCO - Donald Trump risks putting the virus-related aid package in a bad spot. The U.S. president forced out the inspector general providing oversight for $2.3 trillion in emergency relief. Now the potential for exploiting the biggest assistance package in history is high.

Trump has been ratcheting up his moves against government transparency. He removed Glenn Fine from his post as acting inspector general at the Pentagon, which also effectively forced him out as the chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Politico reported on Tuesday. Only an inspector general can fill that role. Fine will be temporarily replaced at the Pentagon by Sean O’Donnell, the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general. A panel will now have to name a new leader to oversee the aid approved by Congress in March.

Oversight is key to ensuring the emergency funds go to intended recipients and meet certain criteria. Supervision of the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program helped keep recipients in line, and the office touts that it has recovered $11 billion and played a role in 300 defendants sentenced to prison. The first special inspector general for the fund, which Congress initially authorized at $700 billion, was Neil Barofsky, a former federal prosecutor. Even still TARP received plenty of retroactive criticism.

Airlines, hotels, restaurants and other industries are applying for loans and grants that are part of the massive relief fund. Conditions are attached, such as prohibiting stock buybacks and requiring grant money is used to keep employees on staff. But there are plenty of areas for incompetence, misunderstandings, or worse. American Airlines could keep staff on payroll, for example, but may cut their paychecks, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported last week. This week the Small Business Administration’s loan program ran into trouble as the online infrastructure used to request money kept crashing.

Having proper oversight and transparency over who gets financial assistance will at least provide evidence that the funds are going to those who deserve it. The gap in leadership at the crucial time is more than a hiccup in the largest bailout in U.S. history.

CONTEXT NEWS

- U.S. President Donald Trump removed Pentagon inspector general who was tasked with also overseeing implementation of the $2.3 trillion economic relief package passed by Congress in March, Politico reported on April 7.

- Glenn Fine, who was the acting inspector general at the Pentagon, was chosen on March 30 to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. A panel of inspectors general who named him to that role now have to find a replacement. At the Pentagon, he is being temporarily replaced by Sean O’Donnell, the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general. Only an inspector general can lead the committee overseeing the aid money.

(Editing by Lauren Silva Laughlin and Amanda Gomez)

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