Ranking Member Raskin Reaffirms Support for Independent Inspectors General Ahead of Presidential Transition

Washington, D.C. (December 5, 2024)— Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, sent letters to inspectors general (IGs), reaffirming his support for their work.  In the letters, Ranking Member Raskin underscored the importance of IGs’ role in ensuring government transparency, combating waste, fraud, and abuse, and holding federal agencies accountable to the people. 

“As an inspector general, your role as an independent, nonpartisan ‘government watchdog’ who seeks to detect waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and who ensures that federal agencies operate efficiently and effectively, is a critical mission, and appears to be a high priority of the incoming administration,” wrote Ranking Member Raskin.  “Congress designed your role as an inspector general to be insulated from shifts in politics and priorities that often accompany changes in administrations [...] I assure you that support for inspectors general is not a partisan issue.”

In the letters, Ranking Member Raskin highlighted the vital safeguards established through various bipartisan legislation, all designed to ensure that IGs operate free from political interference, shield IGs from partisan pressures, and empower them to hold administrations accountable—regardless of shifting political landscapes. 

In addition to reaffirming his support for their work, Ranking Member Raskin invited IGs to contact his office if they face any pressure, threats, or attempts to undermine their independence or remove them in the next administration.

Oversight Committee Democrats remain committed to protecting the independence and integrity of IGs, recognizing their essential role as impartial watchdogs of the federal government and defending their ability to identify and address waste, fraud, abuse, and inefficiency within federal agencies. 

Click here to read the letters to inspectors general.