In the United States, Office of Inspector General (OIG) is a generic term for the oversight division of a federal or state agency aimed at preventing inefficient or unlawful operations within their parent agency. Such offices are attached to many federal executive departments, independent federal agencies, as well as state and local governments. Each office includes an inspector general and employees charged with identifying, auditing, and investigating fraud, waste, abuse, embezzlement and mismanagement of any kind within the executive department.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) was created by Public Law 104–208, passed by Congress in 1996. The inspector general of the United States Postal Service (USPS) is appointed by the presidentially appointed governors on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and reports to them. The term of the inspector general is a maximum of seven years. To ensure accountability, the inspector general keeps Congress, the governors, and Postal Service management informed of the office's work and alerted to potential areas where the Postal Service could be more economical and efficient.
The Office of Inspector General for the Department of State (OIG) is an independent office within the U.S. Department of State with a primary responsibility to prevent and detect waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. OIG inspects more than 270 embassies, diplomatic posts, and international broadcasting installations throughout the world to determine whether policy goals are being achieved and whether the interests of the United States are being represented and advanced effectively.
Janet Rehnquist is a former inspector general (I.G.) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (H.H.S.), a prominent Republican, and the daughter of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was established along with the Department of Homeland Security itself in 2002 by the Homeland Security Act. Its website describes its mission as "supervis[ing] independent audits, investigations, and inspections of the programs and operations of DHS, and recommends ways for DHS to carry out its responsibilities in the most effective, efficient, and economical manner possible."
The U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. The Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, like the Inspectors General of other federal departments and agencies, is charged with monitoring and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) addresses integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies; and increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, technical standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the Office of Inspector General. CIGIE was established in October 2008 as an independent entity within the United States executive branch by the Inspector General Reform Act (IGRA).
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General is an independent, objective agency that provides oversight related to the programs and operations of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). DoD IG was created in 1982 as an amendment to the Inspector General Act of 1978.
Gerald Walpin was an American lawyer and author. He served as the Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) from January 2007 until June 2009, when he was removed by U.S. President Barack Obama.
The Inspector General Act of 1978 is a United States federal law defining a standard set of Inspector General offices across several specified departments of the U.S. federal government.
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) is an independent oversight committee within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 to ensure that the $2.2 trillion of the CARES act, plus 5 other pandemic-related pieces of legislation totaling over $5 trillion in government funds, were not misspent.
In April and May 2020, United States President Donald Trump dismissed the inspectors general (IGs) of five cabinet departments in the space of six weeks. The inspectors general removed were Michael K. Atkinson, Intelligence, on April 3; Glenn Fine (acting), Defense, April 7; Christi Grimm (acting), Health and Human Services, May 1; Mitch Behm (acting), Transportation, May 15; and Steve Linick, State, May 15. In four of the cases the announcement was made late on a Friday night in a classic Friday news dump. In several cases the fired IGs had taken an action which Trump disliked, so that the dismissals were widely described as retaliation. In two other cases, questions were raised about whether the dismissals related to ongoing IG investigations into the conduct of the cabinet secretary in charge of that department. The cumulative firings were often described as a "purge" or as a "war on watchdogs".
The U.S.Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. The Inspector General for the Department of Agriculture is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse. A component of USDA-OIG, the Office of Investigations, conducts criminal investigations led by USDA-OIG Special Agents.
The U.S.Department of Education Office of Inspector General is an Inspector General office created by the Department of Education Organization Act. The Inspector General for the Department of Education is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The U.S.Department of Energy Office of Inspector General is an Inspector General office created by the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977. The Inspector General for the Department of Energy is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The U.S.Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978.
The U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. The Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The U.S.Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. The Inspector General for the Department of the Interior is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The U.S.Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988. The Inspector General for the Department of the Treasury is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
The U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is one of the Inspector General offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. The Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs is charged with investigating and auditing department programs to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.
