Message to the Congress on Designation of Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce

To the Congress of the United States:

I am hereby notifying the Congress that I intend to designate Duane Townsend (currently Special Agent in Charge, Department of Commerce, Office of the Inspector General) as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, in place of the current Acting Inspector General, Roderick Anderson. Such designation will be effective no less than 30 days from delivery of this message.

The Constitution vests "the executive Power" in the President, who has a duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." U.S. Const., Art. II, § 1, cl. 1; id. at § 3. In exercising that power and duty, I have determined that, based on the qualities outlined in 5 U.S.C. 403(a) and the confidence I must place in my appointees, Mr. Townsend is the best available person to serve as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce at this time. In my judgment, Mr. Anderson can better serve the Nation performing other duties (i.e., returning to his position as Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Commerce).

I am providing this notification as a courtesy, a show of comity and respect between the executive and legislative branches. It should not be interpreted as a concession that the Congress can limit my power to remove any officer. "Because no single person could fulfill [the President's] responsibilit[ies] alone, the Framers expected that the President would rely on subordinate officers for assistance." Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 591 U.S. 197, 203–204 (2020). And the Constitution gives the President "the authority to remove those who assist him in carrying out his duties." Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 561 U.S. 477, 513–514 (2010). "Without such power, the President could not be held fully accountable for discharging his own responsibilities; the buck would stop somewhere else." Id. at 514.

Ultimately, I have determined that the changed priorities of my Administration (as compared to the previous one) will be better reflected with new leadership in this Office. Therefore, I am apprising you of my intention to designate Mr. Townsend as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, effective no less than 30 days from delivery of this message.

DONALD J. TRUMP

The White House,

June 4, 2025.