National Security Agency Office of the Inspector General

NSA OIG HOTLINE

The critical importance of blowing the whistle was not lost on the nation’s Founding Fathers.

In 1778, the Continental Congress passed the country’s first whistleblower legislation, declaring it was “the duty of all persons in the service of the United States” to report misconduct or fraud. More than two centuries later, the U.S. Senate officially recognized July 30 as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day – and the issues still warrant attention.

Individuals with information about what they reasonably believe to be wrongdoing perform an essential service to the National Security Agency when they come forward to report their concerns. Your voice is important to NSA OIG, and we want to hear from you.

NSA OIG maintains a Hotline to facilitate the reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in NSA programs and operations, as well as violations of law, rules, and regulations by NSA employees, contractors, and assigned military.

The NSA OIG Hotline is staffed by OIG Hotline managers, who review complaints and determine the appropriate courses of action. Credible complaints may be assigned to an OIG investigator, or referred (with the consent of the complainant if the person is an Agency employee) to appropriate NSA organizations that can provide information and assistance to the person who lodged the complaint.

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT

MAIL
National Security Agency
ATTN: Office of the Inspector General Hotline
9800 Savage Rd., Suite 6247
Ft. George G. Meade, MD 20755

PHONE
301-688-6327

ONLINE
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT

OIG Hotline Facts

WHAT HAPPENS TO A HOTLINE COMPLAINT
Upon receipt of an allegation of fraud, waste, abuse, or misconduct, the OIG may take any one of the following actions:

      > Open an OIG investigation;

      > Open an inquiry to attempt to resolve the matter without an OIG investigation;

      > Refer the matter to an NSA organizational manager for appropriate review and action; or

      > Refer the allegation to another federal agency's OIG (e.g., U.S. Defense Department).

All significant matters are monitored until the action to resolve the complaint is planned or undertaken. Allegations with limited specificity or merit may be held in abeyance until specific details have been reported.
CALLERS MAY REMAIN ANONYMOUS

Individuals who contact the Hotline are not required to provide their identities. Persons who report allegations are encouraged to identify themselves in the event that additional questions arise as the OIG evaluates or pursues the allegation. If a complainant chooses not to provide their identity, it is important for them to provide as much information as possible to assist the OIG.

For individuals that choose to identify themselves, the NSA OIG will protect their identity to the maximum extent possible by law. Confidentiality is established by Section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, which precludes the OIG from disclosing the identity of an employee who reports an allegation or providing information without the employee's consent, unless the IG determines that such disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation.
WHAT TO REPORT TO THE OIG HOTLINE

> Gross mismanagement, waste of resources (money, time, staff), abuse of authority

> Allegations of criminal activity and serious work-related misconduct involving NSA employees or affiliates

> Contract and procurement fraud

> Environmental, health, and safety violations

> Computer crimes

> Product substitution and suspect/counterfeit parts

> Bribery, kickbacks, and gratuities

> False statements and false claims

> Conflicts of interest and ethics violations

> Travel fraud

> Theft and abuse of government property

Individuals should provide relevant and specific details in their complaints. This includes the identity of the person, company, or organization allegedly engaged in wrongdoing; a description of the alleged impropriety; the NSA facility and/or organization or program affected by the alleged misconduct; any contract numbers or contractor names; date(s) of alleged wrongdoing; how the caller is aware of the alleged impropriety; the identity of potential witnesses; and the identity and location of supporting documentation. Failure to provide sufficient details will hamper our ability to investigate the complaint.
CONTRACTOR BUSINESS ETHICS COMPLIANCE PROGRAM DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

Under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), contractors shall report in a timely manner, in writing, to the Office of the Inspector General, with a copy to the contracting officer, whenever the contractor has credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or subcontractor of the contractor has committed a violation of the civil False Claims Act – or of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations in connection with the award, performance, or close-out of a contract or any related subcontract.

The individual making the disclosure must be an officer or manager empowered to speak for the company. Additional information regarding these reporting requirements can be found in the November 12, 2008, FAR Amendment.
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER SUBMITTING A HOTLINE COMPLAINT

You may be contacted directly by one of our investigators or Hotline managers for additional information. You may also be notified that your matter has been referred to another federal agency if your submitted allegations do not fall under the jurisdiction of the National Security Agency. Otherwise, there may be no communication from our office upon receipt of the complaint.

The information you provide through the Hotline will be processed according to applicable law and regulation, and appropriate action will be taken. We try whenever possible to provide complainants with information regarding the outcome of our inquiries. However, because of privacy concerns, we typically are unable to provide information regarding personnel action(s) taken, if any, as a result of a complaint.