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In the United States, Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a generic term for the oversight division of a federal or state agency aimed at preventing inefficient or unlawful operations within their parent agency. Such offices are attached to many federal executive departments, independent federal agencies, as well as state and local governments. Each office includes an inspector general (or IG) and employees charged with identifying, auditing, and investigating fraud, waste, abuse, embezzlement and mismanagement of any kind within the executive department.

History

In the United States, other than in the military departments, the first Office of Inspector General was established by act of Congress in 1976 under the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and more than 100 other departmental programs. With approximately 1,600 employees, the HHS-OIG performs audits, investigations, and evaluations to recommend policy for decision-makers and the public.

Ronald Reagan terminated 16 inspectors general when he entered into office in 1981. His administration explained that Reagan intended to hire his own selections. After Congress objected, Reagan rehired five of those terminated.

George H. W. Bush also attempted to dismiss all the inspectors general when he became president in 1989, but relented after the inspectors general and Congress objected.

Barack Obama dismissed Corporation for National and Community Service inspector general Gerald Walpin citing a lack of confidence in him. After Congress objected to his lack of explanation, the Obama administration cited that Walpin had shown "troubling and inappropriate conduct", and pointed to an incident that year when Walpin was "disoriented" during a board meeting of the corporation, because of which the board requested Walpin's dismissal. Walpin sued for reinstatement, but the courts ruled against him.

In 2020, Donald Trump dismissed or replaced five inspectors general within six weeks. Two permanent inspectors general were dismissed and three acting inspectors general were replaced. Just after firing intelligence inspector general Michael Atkinson, Trump criticized Atkinson as having done a "terrible job" and that he "took a fake report and he brought it to Congress", in reference to the whistleblower complaint of the Trump–Ukraine scandal, which other testimony and evidence largely verified. Trump also described Atkinson as "not a big Trump fan". Around one month before Trump replaced Christi Grimm as acting health inspector general, he had called her report of shortages of medical supplies in American hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States as "wrong", "fake", and "her opinion", despite the report being based on a survey of 323 hospitals. Trump also questioned Grimm's motives for the report.

Authority

The Inspector General Act of 1978 created 12 departmental inspectors general. Thirty years later, in October 2008, the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 added IGs in various other areas. As of July 2014, there were 72 statutory IGs.

The offices employ special agents (criminal investigators, often armed) and auditors. In addition, federal offices of inspectors general employ forensic auditors, or "audigators", evaluators, inspectors, administrative investigators, and a variety of other specialists. Their activities include the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of the government programs and operations within their parent organizations. Office investigations may be internal, targeting government employees, or external, targeting grant recipients, contractors, or recipients of the various loans and subsidies offered through the thousands of federal domestic and foreign assistance programs. The Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 (IGRA) amended the 1978 act by increasing pay and various powers and creating the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).

Some inspectors general, the heads of the offices, are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. For example, both the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor and the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development are presidentially appointed. The remaining inspectors general are designated by their respective agency heads, such as the U.S. Postal Service inspector general. Presidentially appointed IGs can only be removed, or terminated, from their positions by the President of the United States, whereas designated inspectors general can be terminated by the agency head. However, in both cases Congress must be notified of the termination, removal, or reassignment.

While the IG Act of 1978 requires that inspectors general be selected based upon their qualifications and not political affiliation, presidentially appointed inspectors general are considered political appointees and are often selected, if only in part and in addition to their qualifications, because of their political relationships and party affiliation. An example of the role political affiliation plays in the selection of an inspector general, and the resulting pitfalls, can be seen in the 2001 Republican appointment (and resignation under fire) of Janet Rehnquist (daughter of former Chief Justice of the United States, William Rehnquist) to the post of inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While all of the federal offices of inspectors general operate separately from one another, they share information and some coordination through the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. As of 2010, the CIGIE comprised 68 offices. In addition to their inspector general members, the CIGIE includes non-inspector general representatives from the federal executive branch, such as executives from the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Government Ethics, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The CIGIE also provides specialized training to the inspector general community.

Further evidence of coordination between federal offices of inspectors general can be seen by the public through the offices' shared website, and the use of shared training facilities and resources, such as the Inspector General Criminal Investigator Academy (IGCIA), and their Inspector General Community Auditor Training Team (IGCATS), which are hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

Evidence of the offices' return on investment to taxpayers can be seen through their semi-annual reports to Congress, most of which are available on each office's website.

Since the post-9/11 enactment of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, resulting in the amendment of the IG Act of 1978, Section 6e, most presidentially appointed IG special agents have had full law enforcement authority to carry firearms, make arrests, and execute search warrants. Prior to this time, most presidentially appointed IG and some designated IG special agents had the equivalent law enforcement authorities as a result of other statutes or annually required deputation by the U.S. Marshals Service. The 2002 amendment to the IG Act of 1978 made most deputation of presidentially appointed IG special agents unnecessary. Some designated IG special agents, however, still have full law enforcement authority today by virtue of this continued deputation. Some OIGs employ no criminal investigators and rely solely on administrative investigators, auditors, and inspectors.

Lists of inspectors general

Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) inspectors general

Establishment inspectors general

Special inspectors general

Vacancies and pending nominations

Announced nominations for unfilled PAS IGs awaiting confirmation in the Senate.

List of presidentially-appointed inspectors general

Designated federal entity (DFE) inspectors general

List of DFE IGs

Legislative agency inspectors general

U.S. military

Within the United States Armed Forces, the position of inspector general is normally part of the personal staff serving a general or flag officer in a command position. The inspector general's office functions in two ways. To a certain degree they are ombudsmen for their branch of service. However, their primary function is to ensure the combat readiness of subordinate units in their command.

An armed services inspector general also investigates noncriminal allegations and some specific criminal allegations, to include determining if the matter should be referred for criminal investigation by the service's criminal investigative agency.

The Air Force Inspector General Complaints Program was established to address the concerns of Air Force active duty, reserve, and Guard members, civilian employees, family members, and retirees, as well as the interest of the Air Force. One of the first responsibilities of the Air Force inspector general is to operate a credible complaints program that investigates personnel complaints: Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) allegations; congressional inquiries; and issues involving the Air Force mission. Personnel complaints and FWA disclosures to the IG help commanders correct problems that affect the productivity, mission accomplishment, and morale of assigned personnel, which are areas of high concern to Air Force leaders at all levels.

Former

• ACTION
• Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (concurrent with State Department)
• Coalition Provisional Authority
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• U.S. Information Agency
• Iraq Reconstruction (Special)
• Panama Canal Commission
• Resolution Trust Corporation
• Troubled Asset Relief Program (Special)

Review boards

• Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
• Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board

Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute enforcement

HHS-OIG develops and distributes resources to assist the health care industry in its efforts to comply with the nation's fraud and abuse laws and to educate the public about fraudulent schemes so that it can protect itself and report suspicious activities.

As of 2015, HHS-OIG had targeted hospitals and healthcare systems for Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute violations pertaining to the management of physician compensation arrangements. In 2015, a fraud alert was issued to publicize the OIG's intent to further regulate such non-compliance. In light of such efforts and consequent record-breaking settlements, healthcare experts have begun to call for the transition from paper-based physician time logging and contract management to automated solutions.

Reception

Support

Glenn Fine argues that Inspector Generals save taxpayers billions of dollars a year and have the potential to save much more if given more resources and independence, as well as more independent oversight of the Inspector Generals. He also argues that the Supreme Court of the United States, along with every institution, needs an independent and nonpartisan inspector generals.

Criticism

Inspectors general have also been criticized for being ineffective and persecuting whistleblowers rather than protecting them. In a 2011 article by Matt Taibbi, SEC whistleblowers said that complaining to the SEC OIG was "well-known to be a career-killer".

In the Thomas Andrews Drake case, some complainants to the Pentagon's OIG over NSA's Trailblazer Project were later raided by the FBI and threatened with criminal prosecution.

See also

• 2020 dismissal of inspectors general
• Corruption Perceptions Index
• Federal law enforcement in the United States
• Independent agencies of the United States government

Explanatory notes

1. Redacted version of the DoD Inspector General audit, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the Project on Government Oversight and others.

Citations

1. Pub. L. 94–505
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28. "Inspector General Community Auditor Training". ignet.gov. Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008.
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31. "Presidentially-appointed / Senate Confirmed IG Appointed Chronicle" (PDF). Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). 2017-07-25. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
32. CIA (June 28, 2021) "#CIA welcomes Robin Ashton, our new Senate-confirmed Inspector General. IG Ashton most recently served as Principal Deputy Inspector General for the Intelligence Community and brings a wealth of experience to CIA, including more than three decades @TheJusticeDept." (Tweet). Retrieved December 23, 2022 — via Twitter.
33. "Biden to replace embattled acting Commerce IG". Government Executive. May 2024. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
34. ^ "SEC.gov | SEC Appoints Deborah J. Jeffrey as Inspector General". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
35. "DoD OIG Newsletter - January 2023" (PDF). Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
36. "Teri L. Donaldson". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
37. US EPA, OIG (2014-01-17). "About EPA's Office of Inspector General". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
38. "OIG Senior Staff | EXIM.GOV". www.exim.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
39. "The Honorable Fara Damelin". www.fcc.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
40. "Meet the IG". www.fdic.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
41. "Meet the Inspector General | FHFA-OIG". www.fhfaoig.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
42. "The Honorable Rae Oliver Davis | HUD-OIG". www.hudoig.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
43. "The Honorable Thomas A. Monheim" (PDF). Office of Intelligence Community Inspector General. 2022-12-23.
44. "Inspector General". Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
45. "Meet the Inspector General". oig.justice.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
46. "Mr. Robert J. Feitel" (PDF). Office of the Inspector General, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. 2022-12-23.
47. "Krista A. Boyd". Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
48. "Inspector General". U.S. Small Business Administration. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
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50. "Inspector General - Ben R. Wagner | TVA OIG - Office of the Inspector General". oig.tva.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
51. "Inspector General | Office of Inspector General | U.S. Department of Transportation". www.oig.dot.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
52. "Inspector General". www.va.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
53. "Inspector General Vacancy Tracker". Project on Government Oversight. May 5, 2020.
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55. ^ "President Biden Announces Key Nominees" (Press release). The White House. July 31, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
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59. "Embattled Social Security watchdog to resign after tumultuous tenure". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
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61. "Stefania Pozzi Porter Named U.S. AbilityOne Commission Inspector General" (PDF). U.S. AbilityOne Commission. 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
62. "CFTC Appoints Christopher Skinner as Inspector General". Commodity Future Trading Commission. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
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65. "DIA OIG Organization". oig.dia.mil. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
66. "Office of Inspector General – Denali Commission". www.denali.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
67. "Joyce Willoughby Named as EEOC's New Inspector General". US EEOC. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
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71. "Andrew Katsaros". Federal Trade Commission. 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
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78. "Nicole L. Angarella Named Smithsonian Inspector General". www.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
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84. Ellison, Ayla (January 8, 2015). "4 trends in the current Stark Law enforcement climate". Becker's Hospital Review.
85. "Fraud Alert: Physician Compensation Arrangements May Result in Significant Liability" (PDF). Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. June 9, 2015.
86. Peace, Gail. "Why it takes 60 minutes or less to find a Stark Law violation at a hospital". Becker's Hospital Review.
87. Fine, Glenn (2024-08-27). "Inspectors General Are Doing Essential—And Unpopular—Work". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
88. ^ Kim, Mina (2024-09-25). "'Watchdogs' Gives Insider's Look at Role of Inspector General | KQED". www.kqed.org. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
89. Taibbi, Matt (August 17, 2011). "Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes?". Rolling Stone.
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Further reading

• Fine, Glenn A. (2024). Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government (First hardcover ed.). Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press. ISBN 9780813952468. OCLC 1425947853.
• Hilliard, Nadia (2017). The Accountability State: US Federal Inspectors General and the Pursuit of Democratic Integrity. Studies in Government and Public Policy. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 9780700623976. JSTOR j.ctt1p6qpbk. OCLC 1005678179.

External links

• Official website
• Inspector General Vacancy Tracker by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency

• 1976 establishments in the United States
• Federal government of the United States
• Inspectors general
• United States inspectors general