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Gov't Watchdogs Under Attack From Bosses
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.
  Stuart Bowen, special inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction gestures during a news conference in Paris in this March 14, 2006 file photo. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File) (Remy De La Mauviniere - AP) |
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."
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