The White House said it fired a National Transportation Safety Board member after reports of drinking on the job and harassing staff, but Todd Inman flatly denied the allegations Monday and said he plans to fight back.<\/p>\n
Inman revealed Sunday<\/a> that he had been fired on Friday without explanation, though his term on the board was supposed to continue through the end of 2027. President Donald<\/a>Trump’s administration<\/a> said Monday that it believes the firing is justified.<\/p>\n \u201cThe White House lawfully removed Todd Inman from the NTSB after receiving highly concerning reports of inappropriate alcohol use on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of government resources, and failure to attend at least half of NTSB meetings,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The Trump administration remains committed to maintaining safety and security for Americans in the air and on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n Inman said Monday that he hadn’t initially planned to sue over his firing, but now says, \u201cI look forward to defending my reputation through all legal means possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI categorically deny the allegations made in the White House statement. It has become increasingly obvious this action was a political hit job,\u201d said Inman, a Republican who was appointed in March 2024 during former President Joe Biden\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n After Inman’s firing and the unexpected dismissal in May of Vice Chair Alvin Brown<\/a>, a Democrat appointed by Biden, the NTSB currently lists only three members on its website. But the U.S. Senate recently confirmed American Airlines executive John DeLeeuw, and he will become the fourth member of the board that investigates major crashes of planes, trains and automobiles as well as pipeline incidents. The NTSB<\/a> is currently investigating more than 1,000 cases and will make recommendations on how to prevent similar tragedies when it releases its final reports.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump has made clear that restoring an accountable government workforce is a top priority of his Administration. The NTSB has upheld this standard since we were established in 1967,\u201d a spokesman for the agency said in a statement. \u201cThe NTSB\u2019s workforce upholds the highest professional standards, is a responsible guardian of public resources, and safeguards the integrity of its investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n Inman was the lead board member on scene after last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C.<\/a>, that killed 67 people after an airliner collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. He also oversaw the initial investigation of the crash of a UPS cargo plane<\/a> in Kentucky that killed 15 people in November.<\/p>\n Before last year, it was extremely unusual for board members at independent agencies to be dismissed. However, Trump has fired members of the Surface Transportation Board<\/a>, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission<\/a> and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission<\/a> to clear the way for his own appointees. He also tried to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook<\/a>, but she has been fighting that and the courts have allowed her to remain on the job.<\/p>\n The five-member NTSB is supposed to be split between three members of the president’s party and two members of the other party. After Inman’s firing and the addition of DeLeeuw, the board will be split evenly, 2-2, between the parties, and Trump will be able to appoint a third Republican.<\/p>\n