Here's a fun thing about trying to dismantle a federal agency: there's usually a law about it. The Education Department's internal watchdog apparently agrees, because it has opened an investigation into the Trump administration's efforts to break up the agency through interagency agreements.

The Office of Inspector General will examine the Education Department's "execution, monitoring, and management" of its agreement with the Labor Department involving higher education programs, according to an Oct. 6 statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Warren's Push For Investigation

Warren highlighted the investigation in a post on X Tuesday, saying, "Donald Trump's efforts to abolish the Education Department are under independent investigation." She shared a Bloomberg Government report on the probe.

Warren said in the statement, "The Trump Administration doesn't get to ignore the law and dismantle a department that millions of students, teachers, and families rely on."

Warren's office said that she first asked the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the administration's use of interagency agreements in November 2025, seeking information on how the Education Department decided which responsibilities to transfer, whether federal law was violated, and how the agreements were affecting the agency's ability to administer its programs.

That request followed Warren's broader oversight effort, which included eight letters and a June 2025 meeting with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, during which McMahon acknowledged that congressional approval would be needed to dismantle the department.

The investigation follows a broader push by Warren to challenge the administration's restructuring of the Education Department. In May, she also sought a Government Accountability Office investigation into whether the dismantling was affecting the department's ability to address waste, fraud, and abuse in federal student aid programs.

In June, Warren welcomed another federal review of the administration's transfer of Education Department programs, including student loan default collections to the Treasury Department. She has also raised concerns about shifting other education functions to federal agencies.

The Department of Education did not immediately respond to MarketDash's request for comment.

Labor Agreement Under Review

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has signed 14 agreements with other agencies to move Education Department functions elsewhere, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The department cannot transfer statutory responsibilities without congressional approval.

The Labor Department has taken on a greater role in administering most of the Education Department's higher education grant programs, the report added.

The administration has previously framed the transition as a strategic partnership designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve coordination.

Warren said the inspector general's investigation would help hold the administration accountable for its handling of the department's responsibilities.

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