In an email to colleagues on Saturday, reviewed by Reuters, she said the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency “has taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded on Wednesday to reports claiming the agency’s former inspector general was forcibly removed from her office after resisting her dismissal from the Trump administration.

Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran, said the Trump administration had not followed proper protocols, according to Reuters sources.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong had intended to stay after the White House terminated her, saying she believed the administration did not follow proper protocols.

The USDA Inspector General deals with food safety, audits and investigations of the Agriculture Department and violations of animal welfare laws. The USDA has been one of the main agencies dealing with the outbreak of bird flu, which has spread to cattle and poultry. One person in Louisiana has died from the disease.

An Agriculture Department inspector general was reportedly escorted out of her office by security agents for failing to comply with President Trump's order firing at least 17 inspectors general. The incident is being reported by Reuters, based on sources familiar with the matter.

The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency including the Agriculture Department “in an unprecedented purge that could clear the way for President Donald Trump to

Fong has served for over two decades, under four presidents. She was initially appointed by Republican president George W. Bush.