[House Document 119-97]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 119-97
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO DESIGNATE DON RICHARD BERTHIAUME, JR., AS
ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT JUSTICE
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO DESIGNATE DON RICHARD
BERTHIAUME, JR., AS ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DE-
PARTMENT JUSTICE, PURSUANT TO 5 U.S.C. 403 NOTE; ADDED
BY PUBLIC LAW 117-263, SEC. 5203(a); (136 STAT. 3229)
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
October 3, 2025.--Referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform and ordered to be printed
------
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
69-011 WASHINGTON : 2025
The White House,
Washington, September 29, 2025.
Hon. Mike Johnson,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: I am hereby notifying the Congress that I
intend to designate Don Richard Berthiaume, Jr., currently
Senior Counsel to the Inspector General, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, as Acting Inspector General of the
Department of Justice, in place of the current Acting Inspector
General, William M. Blier. Such designation will be effective
no less than 30 days from delivery of this message.
The Constitution vests ``the executive Power'' in the
President, who has a duty to ``take Care that the Laws be
faithfully executed.'' U.S. Const. art. II, Sec. 1, cl. 1; id.
at Sec. 3. In exercising that power and duty, I have determined
that, based on the qualities outlined in 5 U.S.C. 403(a) and
the confidence I must place in officials serving in important
executive positions, Mr. Berthiaume is the best available
person to serve as Acting Inspector General of the Department
of Justice at this time. In my judgment, Mr. Blier can better
serve the Nation performing other duties (i.e., returning to
his position as Deputy Inspector General of the Department of
Justice).
I am providing this notification as a courtesy, a show of
comity and respect between the executive and legislative
branches. ``Because no single person could fulfill [the
President's] responsibilit[ies] alone, the Framers expected
that the President would rely on subordinate officers for
assistance.'' Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau, 591 U.S. 197, 203-204 (2020). And the Constitution
gives the President ``the authority to remove those who assist
him in carrying out his duties.'' Free Enterprise Fund v.
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, 561 U.S. 477, 513-
514 (2010). ``Without such power, the President could not be
held fully accountable for discharging his own
responsibilities; the buck would stop somewhere else.'' Id. at
514.
Ultimately, I have determined that the priorities of my
Administration will be better reflected with new leadership in
this office. Therefore, I am apprising you of my intention to
designate Mr. Berthiaume as Acting Inspector General of the
Department of Justice, effective no less than 30 days from
delivery of this message.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Trump.
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