Phyllis Fong is an American attorney who served as the inspector general of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

from 2002 until her removal in 2025. Fong was nominated to the position in 2002 by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

. She was removed from her position in 2025 by the Trump administration.

Early life and education

Fong was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

and raised in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian studies from

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists ...

and

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Career

Fong began her career as a staff attorney for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She then served as assistant general counsel for the

Legal Services Corporation The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a publicly funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by funding organizations providing c ...

and assistant inspector general for management and policy. After serving as assistant inspector general for management and legal counsel, Fong was nominated to serve as inspector general of the

Small Business Administration The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and str ...

in 1999. Fong was nominated to serve as inspector general of the

in 2002 and was confirmed on December 2, 2002. In April 2020, Fong was appointed to serve as a member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. On January 24, 2025, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

dismissed Phyllis K. Fong along with several other inspectors general in what was described as a sweeping purge of independent oversight officials. Fong, who had served as the

's Inspector General since 2002, refused to step down, arguing that the Trump administration had not followed proper protocol. She was subsequently escorted out of her office by security personnel. The

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

defended the firings, stating that "these rogue, partisan bureaucrats... have been relieved of their duties in order to make room for qualified individuals who will uphold the rule of law and protect Democracy." The dismissals sparked criticism from oversight advocates and members of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, who viewed the move as an attempt to weaken government accountability.

Personal life

Fong and her husband have two children. Her husband is also an attorney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fong, Phyllis American women lawyers American lawyers Living people Lawyers from Honolulu Lawyers from Philadelphia Pomona College alumni United States Department of Agriculture officials United States Department of Agriculture people United States inspectors general by name Vanderbilt University Law School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Inspectors General (IGs) dismissed by Donald Trump Inspectors general removed or fired by Donald Trump