White House says NTSB member was fired for drinking on the job, harassment

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The White House is defending the firing of National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman after reports of drinking on the job and harassing staff, which he denied on Monday and vowed to fight back.

Inman revealed in a statement to CBS News that he had been fired on March 6 with no explanation for his immediate termination.

“On Friday March 6 I received notice from the White House PPO on behalf of Donald J Trump my position on the National Transportation Safety Board was terminated effective immediately,” Inman said. “To date, I have not received any reason for my termination.”

NTSB Member Todd Inman February 13, 2025. (7News)

President Donald Trump’s administration stood by its decision to fire Inman, stating “the Trump administration remains committed to maintaining safety and security for Americans in the air and on the ground.”

“The White House lawfully removed Todd Inman from the NTSB after receiving highly concerning reports of inappropriate alcohol use on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of government resources, and failure to attend at least half of NTSB meetings,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Associated Press.

Inman said on Monday that he didn’t initially plan to sue over his firing, but now says, “I look forward to defending my reputation through all legal means possible.”

“I categorically deny the allegations made in the White House statement. It has become increasingly obvious this action was a political hit job,” he said.

Inman was the NTSB’s initial on-scene spokesman at the midair collision in D.C. and oversaw the initial investigation of the crash of a UPS cargo plane in Kentucky that killed 15 people in November.

Before last year, it was extremely unusual for board members at independent agencies to be dismissed. However, Trump has fired members of the Surface Transportation Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to clear the way for his own appointees. He also tried to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, but she has been fighting that and the courts have allowed her to remain on the job.

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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.