Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation
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The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) is one of the Inspector General offices created by the
Inspector General Act of 1978 The Inspector General Act of 1978 is a United States federal law () defining a standard set of Inspector General offices across several specified departments of the U.S. federal government. The Act specifically creates Inspector General positi ...
. The Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, like the Inspectors General of other federal departments and agencies, is charged with monitoring and auditing department programs to combat
waste Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste prod ...
,
fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...
, and
abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
. The Inspector General is part of the
U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
and assists
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
, the
Secretary of Transportation A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...
, and senior department officials in achieving a safe, efficient, and effective transportation system that meets the
national interest The national interest is a sovereign state's goals and ambitions (economic, military, cultural, or otherwise), taken to be the aim of government. Etymology The Italian phrase ''ragione degli stati'' was first used by Giovanni della Casa around t ...
s and enhances the
quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
. Under the Inspector General Act of 1978, the Office of Inspector General is given autonomy to do its work without political interference. Although chosen by the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
, Inspectors General are required to be selected based on integrity and ability, not political affiliation. The Inspector General Act of 1978 prevents officials in the scrutinized agency from interfering with audits or investigations and requires the IG to keep the Secretary of Transportation and Congress informed of findings, although much of OIG's work is accomplished with the cooperation of officials whose programs are being reviewed. Within the Office of Investigations, the OIG employs both criminal investigators and general investigators. The OIG carries out its mission by issuing audit reports, evaluations, and management advisories with findings and recommendations to improve program delivery and performance. In
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
2006, OIG issued 76 audit reports, which identified more than $893 million in financial recommendations.


History of Inspectors General


Audit

The Office of Auditing and Evaluation supervises and conducts independent and objective audits and other reviews of DOT programs and activities to ensure they operate economically, efficiently, and effectively. This office is divided according to specific DOT program areas into four sub-offices: Aviation; Information Technology and Financial Management; Surface Transportation; and Acquisition and Procurement.


Leadership

In 2006, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
appointed U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Calvin L. Scovel III, to become the Transportation Department's Inspector General (I.G.) In January 2020, Scovel announced his retirement. In May 2020, President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
nominated Eric Soskin, a senior trial attorney in the Department of Justice for the last 14 years. He was from Indiana and was selected to replace Scovel. Soskin was confirmed by the Senate in December 2020. Mr. Soskin was sworn in was sworn in as the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation on January 11, 2021.


Office of Investigations

The Office of Investigations is composed of criminal and general investigators who are responsible for conducting criminal, civil, and administrative investigations of fraud and a variety of other allegations affecting DOT, its operating administrations, programs, and grantees (grant funds). The Office of Investigation's top priorities involve crimes with a public safety impact, procurement and grant fraud schemes that significantly impact DOT funds, consumer and workforce fraud, and employee integrity violations. The Office of Investigations also manages a Hotline Complaint Center and investigates whistleblower complaints, including those referred by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.


References


External links

* {{authority control * Transportation Office of Inspector General United States Department of Transportation agencies