Oversight of the Inspector General Community: The IG Council’s Integrity Committee

Summary

The federal government has more than 70 federal inspectors general (IGs) who are vested with authority to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in their affiliated departments and agencies. This community of IGs serves a key role in assisting congressional oversight by conducting audits, investigations, and evaluations of their affiliated agencies, and by providing written reports at least two times a year to Congress.

The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. Appendix), as amended, establishes an Integrity Committee (IC) that serves to oversee the appropriate conduct of high-ranking employees in the inspector general community and investigate allegations of wrongdoing against those employees. Ethical, transparent, and professional conduct is essential for members of the IG community because, as one Member of Congress stated at a February 2015 House Oversight and Government Reform hearing, “Your whole investigation is tainted if you’re tainted.”

A few recent high-profile IC misconduct investigations have prompted concern from certain Members of Congress and the public. In one case, the length of an investigation allowed a federal IG to remain on paid administrative leave for more than two years. That IG eventually left his post before the results of the IC’s investigation were made public.

Congress may also have concerns about a committee of IGs investigating allegations of wrongdoing made against their peers.

In the 114th Congress, both the House and the Senate are considering legislation to amend the operations of the IC. The bills, S. 579 and H.R. 2395, have some similar provisions including language seeking to limit the amount of time the IC would have to conduct investigations into allegations of IG employee wrongdoing—among other provisions.

Congress may determine that the IC’s current structure is effective in ensuring the professional conduct of the IG community. Alternatively, Congress may determine that the IC is not the appropriate mechanism for IG community misconduct investigations. Instead, Congress may determine that another investigatory organization, like the Government Accountability Office, is better suited to oversee IG community conduct.

This report provides context on the role of the IC in investigating allegations of wrongdoing made against employees of the IG community. The report provides analysis of congressional proposals seeking to amend and improve the IC’s operations, and includes additional potential policy options for improvement of oversight of the IG community.