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Feature | July 2, 2018

40th Anniversary of the Inspector General Act of 1978

By Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse for 40 Years

    [Text Only Version]

    40th Anniversary of the Inspector General Act of 1978

    Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse for 40 Years

     

    The NSA Office of the Inspector General (NSA OIG) works independently to conduct objective audits, investigations, inspections, and special studies of NSA’s activities. It is among 73 such offices in federal agencies, and the only one in the Intelligence Community that has a separate Intelligence Oversight division. NSA OIG focuses on detecting and deterring waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in Agency programs and by its affiliates. It promotes the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of Agency operations. It also assesses whether NSA’s activities comply with the law and are consistent with civil rights and civil liberties.

    • Prior to a legislative change in 2014, NSA Directors appointed their IGs and could remove them. In 2014, Congress instead called for Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed appointments for both NSA and the National Reconnaissance Office.
    • A Senate committee report at the time said, “…this provision will ensure the NSA Inspector General operates independently of the Director of the Agency in overseeing the activities of the NSA, particularly with respect to activities that may raise privacy concerns…”
    • January 11, 2018: Robert P. Storch assumed his responsibilities as the National Security Agency’s first Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed Inspector General.
    • NSA OIG reported to Congress last year that the Agency achieved $7.3 million in financial savings, in one instance, as a result of OIG oversight. That achievement was based on management-completed corrective actions related to previous OIG reports
    • NSA OIG reviews the Agency’s most sensitive programs for compliance with federal law, executive orders, and policies of both NSA and the U.S. Defense Department. The reviews include NSA’s signals intelligence mission and examine issues across the enterprise, including the Agency’s internal controls to protect U.S. person privacy.
    • Proposed recoupment since Fiscal Year 2013 as a result of contractor/labor mischarging, plus time and attendance contacts/investigations: $3.958 million.