Agencies Withhold Information from the GAO

Last week, The Hill reported that federal agencies have not been completely forthcoming with information requested by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as part of the congressional auditing group's investigations. 

In a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), acting GAO head Gene Dodaro cited several instances in which the State Department, the FBI, the Department of Defense (DoD) the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the White House have stonewalled the agency's investigative efforts.  As reported by The Hill:

• "The FBI denied the GAO information on vacancies in the agency’s Counterterrorism Division, saying that the information was part of the national intelligence budget and was therefore not privy to the GAO."

• "The Department of Justice (DoJ) has also limited GAO’s access, 'resulting in delays and occasional denials of GAO access to information.'"

• "GAO was prevented from completing a study on the Army’s realignment when the DoD didn’t give the agency access to how many Army Brigade Combat Teams should be stationed in Europe."

• "The Department of Defense (DoD) has also continually thwarted GAO requests, specifically in dealing with its access to plans for potential future military operations"

• "GAO studies looking at DoD’s interagency coordination for homeland defense and how DoD is including contractor support into its operational planning process have been delayed for months."

• "During the George W. Bush administration, then-GAO head David Walker sued to gain access to information from Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force. GAO lost its legal challenge."

• The State Department "initially balked" at giving the GAO a list of sex offenders, as part of a study on whether or not passport holders have paid their federal taxes or registered as sex offenders. "GAO has said these types of delays are common from the State Department..."

Yikes. Although the GAO says that most agencies are responsive to its requests, POGO is alarmed to hear of these instances that have impeded efforts towards reform and accountability.  GAO is not without its flaws, but the agency has provided crucial insights into areas of government that need improvement (see its reports on the beleaguered Royalty-in-Kind program, security flaws at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, or recent work on the bailout).

In response to the letter, Sen. Grassley — who had asked the GAO to outline its major "sticking points" with other agencies — put it well:

“When the executive branch refuses to provide information to the GAO, a nonpartisan agency of Congress, then the executive branch is violating the checks and balances that are so important to our system of government. It’s a matter of holding government accountable.”

The good news is that GAO says interactions with the State Department "have generally improved."  Let's hope the other agencies cited in the letter follow suit.

-- Bryan Rahija

Comments

[Scott]

These agencies are Republican strong holds which means their defiance maybe attempt to denigrate the U.S. President. Where is the Secret Service when you need them?