Erika McEntarfer, the former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), who President Donald Trump fired in August, made her first public remarks on Tuesday, fiercely defending the integrity of the nation’s economic data and warning of the severe consequences of political interference.
Abrupt Termination Is A ‘Dangerous Step’
Speaking at her alma mater, the Levy Economics Institute at Bard College, McEntarfer said the abrupt termination could undermine economic stability.
Her central warning revolved around the politicization of crucial economic institutions. “Firing your chief statistician is a dangerous step,” she asserted, according to CNN Business.
“That’s an attack on the independence of an institution arguably as important as the Federal Reserve for economic stability. It has serious economic consequences, but that they would do this with no warning — it made no sense.”
Ex-BLS Chief Cites Examples Of Countries That Ousted Statisticians
The former commissioner …