Washington — A federal judge on Tuesday declined to reinstate a group of internal watchdogs at eight federal agencies who were fired by President Trump earlier this year, but she wrote that the president broke the law when he ousted them without notifying Congress and providing justification for the removals.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes declined the officials' request for an order allowing them to return to their jobs as inspectors general unless Mr. Trump removes them in a way that complies with federal law. Reyes said the plaintiffs, eight former government watchdogs, failed to show that they had suffered irreparable harm as a result of their firings.

She noted that even if the officials were reinstated to their roles, as they asked to be, Mr. Trump could remove them again after 30

See Full Page