McCaskill Meets Nominee to Serve as Watchdog at Department of Homeland Security

Press Release

Head of Homeland Security oversight subcommittee, talks one-on-one with Inspector General nominee ahead of confirmation hearing

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill this week met with the nominee to be the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, John Roth, to discuss how best to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse of power in the sprawling agency-specifically following allegations that former Acting Inspector General, Charles Edwards, abused his authority.

McCaskill serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is holding the confirmation hearing for Roth this week.

"We should hold our federal agencies to the highest level of accountability, and I plan on holding their watchdogs to that standard," said McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight. "Inspectors General are the eyes and ears of taxpayers within these agencies, and I look forward to working together with John to make sure the Office of the Inspector General can close this most recent chapter and get back to safeguarding taxpayers from waste, fraud, and abuse at the Department."

McCaskill and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)-the ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight-recently released a joint statement after Charles K. Edwards, the Homeland Security Department's former Deputy Inspector General who was under investigation by the subcommittee, stepped down from his post. Edwards was scheduled to face questioning from the oversight panel over allegations of misconduct, but the hearing was canceled following Edwards' reassignment.

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