Homeland Security Inspector General

Established in 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is charged with unifying the country’s domestic security operations. The Homeland Security Act, the same law that established the department, also created the agency’s Office of Inspector General to ensure that the department carries out its operations and activities efficiently, effectively and economically.

The IG’s chief duties are to examine the workings of the agency, conduct and oversee investigations and audits, interview DHS officials to solicit their feedback and issue final recommendations or findings in writing. The office also investigates allegations of waste, fraud and mismanagement linked to DHS operations such as the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. One of its more notable cases was the conviction in December 2006 of a Sacramento, Calif., man who pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent claims for more than $12,000 in relief funds. The IG maintains investigative field offices in 23 locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In addition, the IG operates audit offices in five cities.

The DHS was formed as an umbrella agency to contain the federal government’s various domestic protective services, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the peacetime activities of the United States Coast Guard. Each of the divisions within DHS’ purview is subject to the scrutiny of the IG.