On August 05, 2014, 47 Inspectors General sent a letter to Congress outlining the challenges they face obtaining access to information within their respective federal agencies. On Tuesday, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, stated that the Obama administration is “not only violating the law, they are deceiving the American people,” after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing which examined ongoing limitations placed on information necessary to the oversight responsibilities of federal inspectors general and their staff.
Inspectors General Michael E. Horowitz (DOJ), Arthur A. Elkins, Jr. (EPA), and Kathy A. Buller (U.S. Peace Corps) testified during the hearing that despite clear language in the Inspector General Act, limitations continue to be placed on their ability to obtain access to information. In addition to the three IGs who appeared as official witnesses, over 30 federal Inspectors General were present at the hearing.
Inspector General Horowitz stated that “What we need to do is get back to where we were before 2010 when there was a culture of openness.”
Section 61(a) of the Inspector General Act states that:
“…each Inspector General is authorized to have access to all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, or other material available to the applicable establishment which relate to programs and operations with respect to which that Inspector General has responsibilities under this Act.”
On August 05, 2014, 47 Inspectors General sent a letter to Congress outlining the challenges they face obtaining access to information within their respective federal agencies.
“Inspectors General serve the American taxpayers as the first line of defense against waste, fraud, and abuse by government agencies. The Act directs that all records be given to the IGs. There aren’t exceptions, the law is crystal clear,” said Chairman Jason Chaffetz.
Gosar stated, “When we pull back the curtain hiding the Obama Administration’s executive actions we are able to see the true culture of cover-up implemented by senior officials within these agencies. Given the countless scandals surrounding this Administration, it is unthinkable that 47 of the 73 total offices of Inspectors General (IG), charged with the responsibility of investigating the actions of our federal government, would feel so obstructed from fulfilling their duties that they have come to Congress pleading for help.”
“The Inspector General Act of 1978 guarantees that our IGs have ‘complete, unfiltered, and timely access to all information and materials…without unreasonable administrative burdens’. Yet today’s hearing clearly demonstrates that the Obama Administration has no intention of following this law or cooperating with our nation’s IG community. The various tactics used to obstruct investigations have included slow-walking requested documents, weakening whistle blower protections, scrubbing government phones and hardrives and simply refusing to cooperate with various requests from these independent investigators. I want to recognize one of today’s witnesses, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice Michael E. Horowitz, for his honest efforts to remove the roadblocks preventing more government transparency,” continued Gosar.
“When the Administration blatantly refuses to cooperate with IG investigations and defies their legal authority, they are not only violating the law, they are deceiving the American people. Gosar concluded, “In doing so, President Obama and his appointed gang of unaccountable bureaucrats threaten the fundamental trust that bonds our nation together and protects our liberty.”