Chairs Call on USGS Director James Reilly to be Removed After IG Investigation Determines He Retaliated Against Whistleblower

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 29, 2020)—Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Raúl M. Grijalva, the Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, called for the removal of James Reilly as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) after the Department of the Interior Inspector General found that he targeted and retaliated against whistleblowers:

"Whistleblower retaliation does not get more clear cut than this. Director Reilly made it a practice to seek out whistleblowers and target them for transfer. Anyone who uses official power to retaliate against whistleblowers—who help uncover waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement—is not fit to hold government office. The Administration must immediately remove Director Reilly. Integrity and accountability matter."

Today, the Inspector General issued a report substantiating allegations of whistleblower retaliation after determining that Reilly transferred an employee to a different position after learning that the employee had filed a complaint against him with the Inspector General.

The Inspector General determined that Reilly sought out information about other employee complaints. The report states:

"USGS personnel also confirmed that Reilly asked whether employees had filed complaints against him with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Special Counsel, our office, or Congress. The USGS personnel said Reilly wanted to know of anyone filing such complaints so that he could ‘move them'."

Click here to read the report issued by the Inspector General.

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