POGO has obtained information raising questions about the independence of the State Department's top watchdog, de facto Inspector General (IG) Ambassador Harold Geisel.
We break down the problem in full in a letter sent earlier today to President Barack Obama, but here's one example of what we found and why it's cause for concern, as highlighted in our statement this morning:
POGO has learned that Geisel has recused himself from a State Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation involving Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy and a company called Aurora, LLC. Geisel’s recusal is due to a perceived conflict of interest between him and Kennedy. Kennedy is in charge of State’s day-to-day operations. These operations generally tend to be the focus of the OIG.
As we point out in our letter, our findings highlight what could be a troubling pattern at State's key oversight office—its tendency to rely on career management officials with Foreign Service experience as acting IGs. State's OIG has been led by such officials for five of the last seven years, yet:
The GAO has repeatedly highlighted both the real and perceived threat posed to State OIG’s independence by this practice. One of the concerns specific to officials with Foreign Service experience leading the OIG in an acting capacity, according to GAO, is the “personal impairments to independence that could result when reviewing the bureaus and posts of fellow Foreign Service officers and diplomats.” For this reason, career Foreign Service Officers are specifically prohibited in statute from being appointed permanent IG.
Ambassador Geisel, whose official title is "Deputy Inspector General," took over as Acting IG in January 2008.
Check out our letter for a more complete account of the problem, as well as our recommendation for how the President should proceed.
Ambassador Geisel will testify later today before the Senate's Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight as part of a hearing entitled, "Oversight of Reconstruction Contracts in Afghanistan and the Role of the Special Inspector General."
-- Bryan Rahija
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