Inspectors general testify against agency ‘stonewalling’ before Congress by Sarah Westwood.
From the post:
Frustration with federal agencies that block probes from their inspectors general bubbled over Tuesday in a congressional hearing that dug into allegations of obstruction from a number of government watchdogs.
The Peace Corps, Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department inspectors general each argued to members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that some of their investigations had been thwarted or stalled by officials who refused to release necessary information to their offices.
Committee members from both parties doubled down on criticisms of the Justice Department’s lack of transparency and called for solutions to the government-wide problem during their first official hearing of the 114th Congress.
“If you can’t do your job, then we can’t do our job in Congress,” Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told the three witnesses and the scores of agency watchdogs who also attended, including the Department of Homeland Security and General Service Administration inspectors general.
Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, testified that the FBI began reviewing requested documents in 2010 in what he said was a clear violation of federal law that is supposed to grant watchdogs unfettered access to agency records.
The FBI’s process, which involves clearing the release of documents with the attorney general or deputy attorney general, “seriously impairs inspector general independence, creates excessive delays, and may lead to incomplete, inaccurate or significantly delayed findings or recommendations,” Horowitz said.
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Perhaps no surprise that the FBI shows up in the non-transparency column. But given the number of inspector generals with similar problems (47), it seems to be part of a larger herd.
If you are interested in going further into this issue, there was a hearing last August 2014), Obstructing Oversight: Concerns from Inspectors General, which is here in ASCII and here with video and witness statements in PDF.
Both sources omit the following documents:
Sept. 9, 2014, letter to Chairman Issa from OMB submitted by Chairman Issa.. 58
Aug. 5, 2014, letter to Reps. Issa, Cummings, Carper, and Coburn from 47 IGs, submitted by Rep. Chaffetz.. 61
Aug. 8, 2014, letter to OMB from Reps. Carper, Coburn, Issa and Cummings, submitted by Rep. Walberg.. 69
Statement for the record from The Institute of Internal Auditors. 71
Isn’t that rather lame? To leave these items in the table of contents but to omit them from the ASCII version and to not even include them with the witness statements.
I’m curious who the other forty-four (44) inspector generals might be. Aren’t you?
If you know where to find these appendix materials, please send me a pointer.
I think it will be more effective to list all of the Inspector Generals who have encountered this stone wall treatment than treat them as all and sundry.
Chairman Jason Chaffetz suggests that by controlling funding that Congress can force transparency. I would use a finer knife. Cut all funding for health care and retirement benefits in the agencies/departments in question. See how the rank and file in the agencies like them apples.
Assuming transparency results, I would not restore those benefits retroactively. Staff chose to support, explicitly or implicitly, illegal behavior. Making bad choices has negative consequences. It would be a teaching opportunity for all future federal staff members.