The White House said it removed National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member J. Todd Inman after receiving reports of inappropriate alcohol use on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of government resources, and repeated absences from board meetings, allegations that Inman flatly denied as a “political hit job.”
Inman, a Republican and former chief of staff to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao during President Donald Trump’s first term, said that he had been fired on March 6, 2026, without explanation. Reuters first reported on March 8 that Inman said the White House had not given him a reason for his dismissal. By March 9, however, White House spokesperson Kush Desai publicly outlined the allegations, saying the administration had acted after receiving “highly concerning reports” about Inman’s conduct. NBC Washington, citing the Associated Press and its own reporting, published the White House statement.
“I categorically deny the allegations made in the White House statement,” Inman said in a statement reported by NBC News. “It has become increasingly obvious this action was a political hit job.” He added that he looked forward to defending his reputation through legal channels. Reuters separately quoted Inman as saying his service on the NTSB had been a great honor and that working on major accident investigations had changed his perspective on transportation safety.
The abrupt firing came less than two weeks after the Senate confirmed John DeLeeuw, the former American Airlines safety executive and a Boeing 787 captain, to fill the board’s fifth seat on February 25, restoring the NTSB to its full five-member panel.
The White House allegations are serious, particularly because they go beyond a policy or personnel dispute and accuse a sitting board member of misconduct while in office. At least one of the claims, the accusation that Inman failed to attend at least half of NTSB meetings, could in theory be tested against public board records. As of Monday, however, no independent public report, court filing, or agency investigative record had surfaced substantiating any of the allegations. Publicly, the case remains the White House’s word against Inman’s denial.
Under federal law, NTSB board members serve fixed five-year terms and can be removed by the president only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” That means the White House would likely need to defend Inman’s dismissal as a for-cause removal, not simply a change in preference.
Inman had served on the NTSB since spring 2024 and became one of the board’s most visible members during several major investigations, including the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport and the November 2025 UPS DC-10 cargo crash in Louisville. His firing also follows the earlier dismissal of former NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown, who has challenged his own removal in court.
The NTSB has not commented on Inman’s firing. Inman’s profile was removed from the agency’s website, and Reuters reported that the board informed senior leaders internally that his position had been terminated.
