Post by Critique on Jan 11, 2007 13:42:28 GMT -5
December 28, 2006
BY LARRY MARGASAK
WASHINGTON -- The inspectors general entrusted to unearth waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies are increasingly under attack, as the top government officials they scrutinize try to erode the watchdogs' independence and authority.
During 2006, several inspectors general felt the wrath of government bosses or their supporters in Congress after investigations cited agencies for poor performance, excessive spending or wasted money.
For instance:
The top official of the government's property and supply agency compared its inspector general to a terrorist, hoping to chill audits of General Services Administration regional offices and private businesses.
Directors of the government's legal aid program discussed firing their inspector general, who investigated how top officials lavishly spent tax dollars for limousine services, ritzy hotels and $14 "Death by Chocolate" desserts.
Administration-friendly Republicans in Congress tried to do away with the special inspector general for Iraq, who repeatedly exposed examples of administration waste that cost billions of dollars. Among the contractors criticized was Halliburton Corp., once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Pentagon has been making its inspector general use lawyers picked by the defense secretary instead of independently hired attorneys.
"It's hard to believe that the government is serious about policing itself when it's whacking the people who are actually minding the store," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, a nonpartisan group that tracks government waste and fraud. "These people are our security officers who help guard tens of billions of dollars. It's ridiculous to prevent them from doing their jobs."
Sean Kevelighan, spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the Bush administration counts on "independent and unbiased views" of the watchdogs and is willing to intervene in any disputes.
"If and when there are times where intervention is necessary, the administration will do so to ensure all the parties are educated about one another's roles and the importance of maintaining a productive relationship -- and a healthy respect for the responsibilities of all involved," he added.
When GSA Inspector General Brian Miller's team intensively audited the agency's regional offices, he ran into strong resistance from agency administrator Lurita Doan.
A business owner, Doan suggested some auditing functions be taken away from the watchdog and given to small businesses.
"There are two kinds of terrorism in the U.S.: the external kind and internally, the IGs have terrorized the regional administrators," she told Miller and his staff on Aug. 18.
The quotes are from a participant's meeting notes obtained by the Associated Press. Miller aide Robert Samuels attended the meeting and confirmed the comments, as did another attendee.
Doan declined comment.
The jobs of two watchdogs had to be rescued by Congress.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), outgoing chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, inserted language in a defense bill to close down the Iraq inspector general by the end of 2007.
That inspector general, Stuart Bowen Jr., has conducted several high-profile investigations of how the Bush administration has spent money during Iraqi reconstruction. He found dramatic examples of missing weapons, wasted billions and excessive overhead costs by Halliburton.
Hunter said he agreed that Bowen's office had been useful but that a termination date was needed so that normal oversight functions could be returned to the Defense and State departments.
Democrats and key Republicans rebelled and saved Bowen's job.
"It is inconceivable that we would remove this aggressive oversight while the American taxpayer is still spending billions of dollars on Iraq reconstruction projects," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
Legal Services Corp. Inspector General Kirt West rankled top managers of the federal legal aid program for the poor when he investigated lavish executive expenditures. The agency's board of directors discussed firing him in early 2006.
West "should know that he's got to ... shape up or we will ship him out," board vice chairman Lillian BeVier said, according to one meeting transcript.
Three members of Congress intervened to save West's job.
Congress and the Bush administration also have left open one of the most critical watchdog jobs -- the Pentagon inspector general's post. The job has been vacant for 16 months, even as billions of dollars are spent each month in Iraq and Afghanistan.
www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1167284868253540.xml&coll=1
BY LARRY MARGASAK
WASHINGTON -- The inspectors general entrusted to unearth waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies are increasingly under attack, as the top government officials they scrutinize try to erode the watchdogs' independence and authority.
During 2006, several inspectors general felt the wrath of government bosses or their supporters in Congress after investigations cited agencies for poor performance, excessive spending or wasted money.
For instance:
The top official of the government's property and supply agency compared its inspector general to a terrorist, hoping to chill audits of General Services Administration regional offices and private businesses.
Directors of the government's legal aid program discussed firing their inspector general, who investigated how top officials lavishly spent tax dollars for limousine services, ritzy hotels and $14 "Death by Chocolate" desserts.
Administration-friendly Republicans in Congress tried to do away with the special inspector general for Iraq, who repeatedly exposed examples of administration waste that cost billions of dollars. Among the contractors criticized was Halliburton Corp., once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Pentagon has been making its inspector general use lawyers picked by the defense secretary instead of independently hired attorneys.
"It's hard to believe that the government is serious about policing itself when it's whacking the people who are actually minding the store," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, a nonpartisan group that tracks government waste and fraud. "These people are our security officers who help guard tens of billions of dollars. It's ridiculous to prevent them from doing their jobs."
Sean Kevelighan, spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the Bush administration counts on "independent and unbiased views" of the watchdogs and is willing to intervene in any disputes.
"If and when there are times where intervention is necessary, the administration will do so to ensure all the parties are educated about one another's roles and the importance of maintaining a productive relationship -- and a healthy respect for the responsibilities of all involved," he added.
When GSA Inspector General Brian Miller's team intensively audited the agency's regional offices, he ran into strong resistance from agency administrator Lurita Doan.
A business owner, Doan suggested some auditing functions be taken away from the watchdog and given to small businesses.
"There are two kinds of terrorism in the U.S.: the external kind and internally, the IGs have terrorized the regional administrators," she told Miller and his staff on Aug. 18.
The quotes are from a participant's meeting notes obtained by the Associated Press. Miller aide Robert Samuels attended the meeting and confirmed the comments, as did another attendee.
Doan declined comment.
The jobs of two watchdogs had to be rescued by Congress.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), outgoing chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, inserted language in a defense bill to close down the Iraq inspector general by the end of 2007.
That inspector general, Stuart Bowen Jr., has conducted several high-profile investigations of how the Bush administration has spent money during Iraqi reconstruction. He found dramatic examples of missing weapons, wasted billions and excessive overhead costs by Halliburton.
Hunter said he agreed that Bowen's office had been useful but that a termination date was needed so that normal oversight functions could be returned to the Defense and State departments.
Democrats and key Republicans rebelled and saved Bowen's job.
"It is inconceivable that we would remove this aggressive oversight while the American taxpayer is still spending billions of dollars on Iraq reconstruction projects," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said.
Legal Services Corp. Inspector General Kirt West rankled top managers of the federal legal aid program for the poor when he investigated lavish executive expenditures. The agency's board of directors discussed firing him in early 2006.
West "should know that he's got to ... shape up or we will ship him out," board vice chairman Lillian BeVier said, according to one meeting transcript.
Three members of Congress intervened to save West's job.
Congress and the Bush administration also have left open one of the most critical watchdog jobs -- the Pentagon inspector general's post. The job has been vacant for 16 months, even as billions of dollars are spent each month in Iraq and Afghanistan.
www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1167284868253540.xml&coll=1