By LARRY MARGASAK
WASHINGTON Dec 27, 2006 (AP)— The inspectors general
entrusted to unearth waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies
are increasingly under attack, as 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.
President Bush's nominee, David Laufman, withdrew recently
because he couldn't get a Senate vote.
But while his nomination was alive, he warned Congress of
a lack of independence for the Pentagon watchdog.
Laufman brought to senators' attention a directive renewed
in 2004 by then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's office
that requires the inspector general's legal office to be staffed
by lawyers who work for the secretary rather than independently
hired attorneys.
Congress created the inspectors general jobs during the post-Watergate
era to ensure federal agencies had independent oversight and
accountability. The IGs audit how money is spent and also play
a critical role in investigating allegations of wrongdoing
and protecting federal whistleblowers.
Even amid increasing attacks, inspectors general have made
their mark.
Interior Department inspector general Earl Devaney has played
a key role investigating the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal,
by exposing political pressures and shenanigans designed to
get favorable treatment inside Interior for Abramoff's tribal
clients.
And GSA's Miller has conducted investigations that:
Led Oracle Corp. to pay $98.5 million to settle charges of
inflated computer costs to the government.
Exposed vendors for offering the government facial tissues
priced at $22 more per carton than commercial customers.
Uncovered portable radios priced $1,473 more to government
agencies than to private sector customers.
Most criticism of the watchdogs comes from federal officials "not
particularly happy with the messages being delivered," said
Gaston Gianni Jr., now retired as the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp. inspector general.
"I don't think you compromise to get brownie points.
You have to report what you find."
On the Net:
General Services Administration:
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/home.do?tabId0
Legal Services Corporation:
http://www.lsc.gov/
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