Miles Taylor, a former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has filed a formal complaint with federal watchdogs accusing former President Donald Trump of abusing presidential power to launch politically motivated investigations into his critics.
Taylor, who served as chief of staff at DHS during Trump’s first term, submitted his complaint on Tuesday to the Inspectors General of both DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ). He argues that Trump’s April 9 directive ordering an investigation into him represents an unconstitutional use of federal authority to retaliate against dissent.
In an accompanying op-ed published in TIME, Taylor warned that the Trump-ordered probe could set a dangerous precedent. “The real harm will come if Trump’s lieutenants are allowed to carry forward with these revenge investigations, unimpeded,” he wrote. “It will create a precedent for this White House or any future president to investigate anyone they please.”
Taylor first gained national attention in 2018 when he anonymously authored a New York Times op-ed titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” He later published a tell-all book and publicly opposed Trump’s 2020 re-election bid. Trump has since accused Taylor of “treason” and suggested he may have violated the Espionage Act—a charge that carries a potential death sentence.
The April 9 memorandum, signed by Trump in the Oval Office, also targeted former cybersecurity official Chris Krebs, who, like Taylor, publicly refuted Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election. Both men had their security clearances revoked under the memo.
Taylor’s complaint urges federal oversight bodies to investigate whether DHS and DOJ officials are following Trump’s order in a manner that violates constitutional protections. “This is about whether we will allow the President—any president, of any political party—to criminalize criticism,” Taylor wrote.
Though Inspectors General cannot enforce legal consequences themselves, their findings can lead to internal disciplinary action, referrals to federal prosecutors, or congressional inquiries. Trump previously dismissed over a dozen Inspectors General early in his second term, raising further concerns about oversight independence.
Taylor claims the memo has had a devastating impact on his life, stating it forced him to resign from his job due to “blacklisting” and triggered harassment and threats against his family. A senior DHS official was allegedly dismissed for attending Taylor’s wedding.
“We are in a moment that will test democracy for the ages,” Taylor warned. His legal team maintains that the memo amounts to an unprecedented attempt to weaponize the executive branch against a private citizen for exercising free speech.
