GAO Provides Inspector General Reform Guidance to Congress

The Government Accountability Office outlined steps Congress and federal inspectors general could take to strengthen the standing and independence of IGs across government in a report Monday.

The 12-page report comes after President Trump removed four high-profile IGs in as many months—removals that House Democratic leaders have called an “assault” on federal IGs and oversight of the Executive Branch.

The report from GAO—itself the chief watchdog for the legislative branch—presents Congress with a series of legislative reform options lawmakers could consider to strengthen and empower IGs, including amending current law so that they may be removed by a president only “for cause.” GAO also suggests lawmakers could require a president provide Congress detailed notice of any plans to remove or transfer an IG to another position. Further, GAO posits that Congress could tweak reporting IG reporting structures and “consider expanding” IG reporting requirements and instituting shorter time intervals for IGs to report to Congress on “matters related to” IG independence.

"Given the current challenges facing the federal government, the oversight provided through independent government audits and investigations is more critical than ever,” said the report, which is signed by U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “Accountability—for both the use of public resources and the exercise of government authority—is key to our nation’s governing processes and to achieving national goals. Independent government audits, in turn, provide essential accountability and transparency over government programs and operations by providing objective analysis and information to decision-makers and the public.”

The report also has recommendations for current and acting IGs. GAO warns of several types of threats that could threaten IG independence, including threats of political, ideological or social bias; familiarity threats wherein an IG has a relationship with an audited entity; undue influence threat, where an IG feels pressure from outside the auditing organization, and management participation threat, wherein an auditor is or has previously performed management functions on behalf of the audited entity.

“To protect the independence and integrity of the OIG’s work, an acting IG should be vigilant in evaluating independence and applying appropriate safeguards. Otherwise, when independence is impaired, there is a detrimental effect on the quality of OIG work. Impairment of an OIG’s independence also limits the usefulness of the IG’s work for both the agency and Congress in providing a clear basis for taking appropriate actions,” the report states.

The House is currently considering legislation that mirrors some of GAO’s recommendations. The 2020 Inspectors General Independence Act would establish seven-year terms for IGs and allow only “for cause” removals.