Weekly Spotlight: We Have a Small Window to get this Done
When the executive branch fails to meet its promises, you deserve accountability. Inspectors general are crucial allies in delivering that accountability.
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Editor’s Note: There will be no Weekly Spotlight Saturday, November 30th. We will be back in your inbox on December 7th. Happy Holidays!
When the executive branch fails to meet its promises, you deserve accountability. Inspectors general are crucial allies in delivering that accountability.
There are currently several vacant inspectors general positions across the federal government, including the openings left after two top intelligence watchdogs resigned this week following former President Donald Trump’s re-election, as we reported in a breaking investigation. Along with 18 other organizations, we sent a letter to the Senate demanding they take action to fill these roles immediately.
But that’s not all that needs to happen to pave the way for accountability. President Joe Biden must also fire Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari and replace him with a watchdog who will serve with integrity.
We’ve been calling for Cuffari to be fired since 2022, and his actions in the years since have only made a stronger case for his removal. A federal panel published the results of a years-long probe into Cuffari’s misconduct early last month and substantiated claims that he conducted a retaliatory investigation against a whistleblower and used over $1 million of taxpayer money to settle the retaliation claims.
We sent a letter to President Biden urging him to remove and replace Cuffari while still in office. We have a small window to make this happen, so we’re doubling down. We need to ensure that a devoted, capable public servant is overseeing the government’s largest federal law enforcement agency. Cuffari simply doesn’t fit that bill.
INVESTIGATION
Key Intelligence Watchdogs Resign in Wake of Trump’s Win
Two key watchdogs are leaving their posts amid widespread concerns within the federal inspector general community over the president-elect’s intentions.
ANALYSIS
How States Are (and Aren’t) Collecting Death-In-Custody Data
What we learned reviewing states’ plans for complying with the Death in Custody Reporting Act.
ANALYSIS
F-35 Testing Report Reveals Problems with Production Decisions
The decision to enter full rate production on the flawed F-35 shows that current statutes do not support sufficient congressional oversight.
LETTER
President Biden: Remove Inspector General Cuffari Before You Leave Office
Recent investigations by the Integrity Committee and POGO make it clear IG Cuffari must be removed.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The question in that case was that Carl Icahn seemed to take the public outrage seriously enough that he stepped down. I don’t see [Elon Musk] having the same sense of shame that Icahn did eight years ago.”
Danielle Brian, Executive Director and President, in USA Today
ONE LINERS
“This is an issue where we can push Congress to fully exercise its oversight authority.”
Joe Spielberger, Policy Counsel, in Reuters
“We have a [President-Elect] who hasn’t shown a lot of respect for checks and balances when they implicate him.”
Nick Schwellenbach, Senior Investigator, in NPR Here and Now
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