President Biden told Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday that he is removing Martin Dickman, the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), due to creating a hostile work environment, a source told The Hill.
Biden informed Johnson in a letter that the termination follows the presentation of the findings of an investigation initiated in January 2023 by the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency following allegations against Dickman.
The investigation uncovered proof that Dickman established a toxic work environment and engaged in abusive behavior, including using offensive and inappropriate language and demeaning employees.
Dickman, who was appointed in 1994 under the Clinton administration, will be put on administrative leave effective immediately. On April 28, he will be fired.
According to the source, Biden plans to appoint Ben R. Wagner, the inspector general of the Tennessee Valley Authority, as the acting inspector general of RRB. Wagner will continue in his other role while serving as acting inspector general.
Under the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022, the president must notify Congress 30 days before removing an inspector general. The Biden administration determined that due to the issues surrounding the toxic work environment that led to Dickman's dismissal, independent leadership from outside RRB was necessary, hence Wagner's selection, said the source.
The RRB office of the inspector general is responsible for conducting independent audits, reviews, and investigations. RRB, headquartered in Illinois, handles retirement-survivor pensions and unemployment-sickness benefits for railroad workers and their families, according to the agency.
The inspector general position requires a presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
Dickman's firing is the first time Biden has dismissed an inspector general for cause.
The president has also terminated the employment of other presidential-appointed and Senate-confirmed federal employees, including former Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, in 2023 after an inspector general report found he misused a government vehicle and allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer. Biden also fired former Social Security Commissioner, Andrew Saul, in 2021 after he refused to resign
and has since appointed former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), who was confirmed. President Biden informed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Friday that he is firing Martin Dickman, the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), on grounds of creating a hostile work environment, a source familiar told The Hill. The termination, which Biden informed Johnson of by letter, comes after the president was presented with… and has since appointed former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who was confirmed.
