POGO Keeps the Pressure On the USDOT IG
The non-profit watchdog Project on Government Oversight (POGO) continues to actively pursue the truth and the facts in the Traffic.com scandal, and yesterday sent a letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel, urging the IG to conduct a comprehensive audit into the very counterproductive TTID program.
Both POGO and the Sunlight Foundation have consistently helped investigate this scandal, through the issuance of multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, postings on their website and blogs, and letters like this one urging the authorities to conduct their own detailed investigations into this scandal.
From a description of his background, it certainly appears that Mr. Scovel is an honorable and honest individual. However, the Inspector General's inherent conflict of interest was never more apparent than in this case.
Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressman Anthony Weiner both formally requested (Hatch's letter, Weiner's letter) investigations into this program (as did POGO) primarily because of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters' "non-responsive response" to Sen. Hatch's two very pointed inquiries last year. (See this white paper for background.)
Yet the IG and his office report on a day-to-day basis to the Secretary's office. The IG's staff undoubtedly feels subtle (or not so subtle) pressure to limit the scope of the current audit to "some narrow aspect of the statutory language" as POGO states in its letter, rather than to conduct a thorough and comprehensive audit back to the beginning of this very counterproductive program. After all, the "career staff" knows that it's not the best thing for your career to investigate and possibly even criticize the actions of your own boss.
It's hard to imagine a bigger conflict of interest, and brings up the age-old question "Who Will Guard the Guards?"
Thankfully, POGO is helping fill that void. We absolutely need a whole lot more of this type of courageous, independent oversight.
Jerry
Both POGO and the Sunlight Foundation have consistently helped investigate this scandal, through the issuance of multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, postings on their website and blogs, and letters like this one urging the authorities to conduct their own detailed investigations into this scandal.
From a description of his background, it certainly appears that Mr. Scovel is an honorable and honest individual. However, the Inspector General's inherent conflict of interest was never more apparent than in this case.
Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressman Anthony Weiner both formally requested (Hatch's letter, Weiner's letter) investigations into this program (as did POGO) primarily because of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters' "non-responsive response" to Sen. Hatch's two very pointed inquiries last year. (See this white paper for background.)
Yet the IG and his office report on a day-to-day basis to the Secretary's office. The IG's staff undoubtedly feels subtle (or not so subtle) pressure to limit the scope of the current audit to "some narrow aspect of the statutory language" as POGO states in its letter, rather than to conduct a thorough and comprehensive audit back to the beginning of this very counterproductive program. After all, the "career staff" knows that it's not the best thing for your career to investigate and possibly even criticize the actions of your own boss.
It's hard to imagine a bigger conflict of interest, and brings up the age-old question "Who Will Guard the Guards?"
Thankfully, POGO is helping fill that void. We absolutely need a whole lot more of this type of courageous, independent oversight.
Jerry
posted by Jerry Werner | 6:06 AM
1 Comments:
Heard you on CSpan this morning.
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