Grassley, Loudermilk: DHS Must Stop Interfering in Inspector General Investigations

Grassley, Loudermilk: DHS Must Stop Interfering in Inspector General Investigations

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) are calling on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to halt DHS' obstruction of independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations.

The lawmakers' concerns stem from a recently released, heavily redacted DHS OIG report titled, "United States Secret Service Preparation for and Response to the Events of January 6, 2021." DHS OIG's January 6 report references numerous instances in which DHS blocked the watchdog from accessing certain information when conducting its oversight. Further, in a recent letter to Grassley, DHS OIG noted DHS since 2021 has "consistently" delayed and denied DHS OIG requests. DHS OIG is currently investigating the Secret Service, following a request from Grassley.

Grassley and Loudermilk today wrote to Secretary Mayorkas, calling on him to put a stop to his agency's repeated interference in DHS OIG investigations. The lawmakers additionally wrote to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari seeking additional information regarding DHS' restrictive behavior.

"The Biden-Harris DHS is keeping its watchdog on a tight leash by imposing unlawful access restrictions and delaying information sharing, which has interfered with DHS OIG's ability to disclose its full findings to Congress and the American people in a timely manner," Grassley said of the letters. "DHS' rampant lack of transparency is a disservice to the American taxpayer and highly concerning in light of recent Secret Service-related communication failures. If DHS is willing to keep Americans in the dark about January 6, how can we depend on them to provide the whole truth about July 13? It's high time DHS let the sunshine in."

"My investigation has uncovered alarming reports that Mayorkas and the Department have been delaying the DHS OIG from conducting their investigations," Loudermilk said of the letters. "I am very concerned that the Department would interfere at all regarding what information DHS OIG provides to Congress or what information the DHS OIG can obtain during their investigations. The OIG has an independent reporting relationship to Congress. Under no circumstances should the Secretary interfere in the Inspector General's work."

Grassley is the Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, while Loudermilk serves as Chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight.

Read their letter to DHS HERE and to DHS OIG, HERE.

Background

Congress in 1978 established OIGs at various federal agencies to serve as "independent and objective units" within the federal government. Federal law requires OIGs to have timely access to all agency records. OIGs are responsible for: conducting audits and investigations; promoting efficiency; deterring fraud and abuse; and fully informing agency heads and Congress about interagency problems.

Grassley is an outspoken advocate for OIGs. He recently introduced bipartisan legislation to protect OIGs from partisan influence. Grassley played a key role in the 2016 passage of the Inspector General Empowerment Act, a bill to ensure OIGs receive timely access to all records necessary for conducting oversight.

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