History of Inspectors General 1668 French Army 1777 US Congress creates an IG for the Continental Army Thomas Conway 3 months resigns (George Washington) 1778 - Baron Frederick William Augustus von Steuben 1
History of Inspectors General 1952 - CIA 1958 - State Department 1962 - USDA, but abolished in 1973 IG Act of 1978 - Independent Statutory Authority for 12 Cabinet-level IGs What is the purpose of an OIG? According to the IG Act, OIGs were created to be independent and objective units responsible for: Promoting economy and effectiveness, and preventing and detecting fraud, waste and abuse, in the programs and operations of their agency Conducting and supervising audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of their agency 2
What is the purpose of an OIG? According to the IG Act, OIGs were created to be independent and objective units responsible for: Keeping the head of the establishment and the Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of such programs and operations and the necessity for and progress of corrective action Inspectors General by the Numbers The Inspector General (IG) Act of 1978 created 12 Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) at Cabinet-level agencies (PAS IGs) Amendments to the Act in 1988 added 30 OIGs at designated agencies (DFE IGs) As of 6/10/2017 there are 73 IGs: 36 PAS IGs, 32 DFE IGs and 5 legislative branch IGs 3
Inspectors General by the Numbers In FY 2015, there were 72 IGs in agencies across the federal government employing approximately 13,000 staff at a cost of $2.7 billion per year In FY 2015, OIGs reported $26.3 billion in potential savings from audit recommendations agreed to by management, and $10.3 billion from investigative receivables and recoveries Presidentially Appointed vs. Agency Appointed IGs Presidentially Appointed IGs Cabinet-Level departments and major agencies President nominates and Senate confirms IG There are currently 11 vacant PAS IG positions Agency Head Appointed IGs Designated Federal Entities listed in section 8G of the Act Head of the DFE appoints IG There are currently 2 vacant DFE IG positions 4
Presidentially Appointed vs. Agency Appointed IGs All IGs are selected without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations. Characteristics of IGs IGs are independent IGs are transparent IGs are accountable IGs are collaborative 5
Prelude to the Inspector General Empowerment Act: Agency Pushback to IG Access Beginning in 2010, federal agencies challenged IG access to all information DOJ, Peace Corps, Commerce, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, EPA Seven-day letters, IG Act, 5(d) DOJ s Office of Legal Counsel Opinion, dated July 20, 2015 Section 6(a) of the IG Act did not give DOJ-OIG access to all records Prelude to the Inspector General Empowerment Act: Congressional Hearings Strengthening Agency Oversight: Empowering the Inspector General Community, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, January 15, 2014 Obstructing Oversight: Concerns from Inspectors General, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, September 10, 2014 Inspectors General: Independence, Access, and Authority, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, February 3, 2015 All Means All : The Justice Department s Failure to Comply With Its Legal Obligation to Ensure Inspector General Access to All Records Needed For Independent Oversight, Senate Judiciary Committee, August 5, 2015 6
Inspector General Empowerment Act: Enactment Passed Senate with amendments by voice vote on March 4, 2015 Companion bill passed House with voice vote in June and again December 2016, and passed in Senate w/o amendment by voice vote on December 10, 2016 Became Public Law No. 114-317 on December 16, 2016 Over 20 co-sponsors in Senate (S. 579) Inspector General Empowerment Act: Enactment Strengthened independence Stepped-up transparency requirements Enhanced accountability Emphasis on collaboration 7
Questions? 8