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Updated at 4 p.m. ET
Federal watchdogs who guard against fraud foresee plenty of work to keep them busy next year: from more than 100 investigations related to the coronavirus pandemic to new probes over misuse of some of the nearly $3.5 trillion in stimulus money.
The federal government s 75 inspectors general, as they re known, are reeling from chaos in the Trump era, including firings and pressure campaigns from the White House and its allies. In response, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency is asking lawmakers for greater job protections in the year ahead. Our job, we know, has never been more important, more significant or more challenging than it is right now, said Michael Horowitz, the inspector general at the Justice Department, who also leads a government-wide group related to pandemic oversight.
WHYY
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Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, pictured in December 2019, says the role of federal watchdogs has never been more important. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Federal watchdogs who guard against fraud foresee plenty of work to keep them busy next year: from more than 100 investigations related to the coronavirus pandemic to new probes over misuse of some of the nearly $2.5 trillion in stimulus money.
The federal government’s 75 inspectors general, as they’re known, are reeling from chaos in the Trump era, including firings and pressure campaigns from the White House and its allies. In response, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency is asking lawmakers for greater job protections in the year ahead.
Key inspector general offices vacant as Trump administration ends azcentral.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from azcentral.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Mark Rockwell
Allison Lerner, the inspector general for the National Science Foundation, won the election to become chairperson of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).
Lerner was elected to the position on Dec. 15 by the 75 federal inspectors general (IGs) who make up CIGIE, according to a Dec. 15 statement by the council. Her term begins on Jan. 1, when she replaces current CIGIE chairperson Department of Justice IG Michael Horowitz, said the statement.
CIGIE is an independent entity in the federal government s executive branch that identifies and reviews areas of weakness and vulnerability in federal programs and operations, as well as addresses workforce policy and effectiveness in agency offices of inspector general.