Michael Atkinson (Inspector General)
Michael Kevin Atkinson (born May 16, 1964) is an American attorney. He worked for the United States Department of Justice for approximately 15 years, before becoming the second Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. He assumed office on May 17, 2018.
Michael Atkinson | |
|---|---|
| Inspector General of the Intelligence Community | |
| In office May 17, 2018 – May 3, 2020 On leave: April 3, 2020 – May 3, 2020 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Charles McCullough |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Monheim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Kevin Atkinson May 16, 1964 Oswego, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse | Kathryn Cameron |
| Education | Syracuse University (BA) Cornell University (JD) |
Atkinson is known for alerting Congress in September 2019 to a whistleblower complaint about President Donald Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rival for the presidency Democrat Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden; the scandal eventually led to Trump's impeachment and acquittal.
On April 3, 2020, President Trump dismissed Atkinson, saying he "no longer" had confidence in the Inspector General (Atkinson's actual deposition was dated to 30 days from April 3; he was placed on administrative leave and "effectively [fired]" on April 3). A bipartisan group of senators demanded a more thorough explanation from Trump regarding the ousting.