Ranking Members Thompson and Raskin Call on Chairmen Comer and Green to Reject DHS IG Cuffari’s Attempts to Evade Oversight
Congressional Democrats Question IG Cuffari’s Independence Following Unprecedented Plea to Chairmen Comer and Green to Obstruct an Ongoing Congressional Investigation
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Rep. James Comer, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and Rep. Mark Green, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, urging them to reject Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari’s attempts to evade oversight and accountability after repeatedly failing to comply with Congressional Democrats’ request for documents and information regarding his mismanagement of DHS OIG.
“On February 1, 2024, you received correspondence from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari in which he asked you to intervene in our investigation of him ‘to prevent further interference by the ranking members.’ Inspector General Cuffari’s decision to direct his correspondence to you—instead of the Ranking Members—is a blatant and surprisingly churlish attempt to obstruct our oversight and raises serious concerns about whether he is in any way capable of acting in an independent and nonpartisan way, as is required by law of an inspector general. As Chairmen of our respective Committees, we urge you to repudiate this strange, unprecedented and petulant action by the head of an Office of Inspector General (OIG) and assure us that you do not intend to condone or encourage Inspector General Cuffari’s persistent failure to comply with our requests,” wrote the Ranking Members.
In an August 2023 letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members, Inspector General Cuffari responded to the Ranking Members’ earlier letter and thanked the Chairmen’s staff for “confirming that I am not under investigation by your respective Committees.” Inspector General Cuffari’s admission that he privately conferred with and sought counsel from Chairmen Comer and Green’s staff about the status of this investigation is an alarming breach of precedent by an Inspector General who is supposed to be independent and nonpartisan.
On January 25, 2024, Ranking Members Raskin and Thompson sent a letter to DHS Inspector General Cuffari renewing their call for his office to comply with Congressional requests for documents and information into the use of taxpayer funds to settle claims of retaliation against him after evidence obtained by the Committees revealed he may not have followed his office’s procedures when he delegated authority to his Chief of Staff to sign a $1.17 million retaliation settlement against him.
In response, on February 1, 2024, Inspector General Cuffari sent a letter to Chairmen Comer and Green, falsely claiming that DHS OIG was not under investigation because the oversight is not being conducted by the Committees’ Majorities.
In addition, Inspector General Cuffari incorrectly designated himself a whistleblower to shield himself from oversight despite being the head of a federal agency and thus not covered by the Whistleblower Protection Act.
Given the unprecedented nature of Inspector General Cuffari’s absurd actions, Ranking Members Raskin and Thompson request Chairmen Comer and Green’s assurance that they are not participating in an invalid effort to impede their investigation into Inspector Cuffari’s gross mismanagement of DHS OIG.
The Committees have a longstanding investigation into Inspector General Cuffari’s poor leadership and gross mismanagement of DHS OIG. Despite IG Cuffari’s repeated attempts to thwart meaningful oversight, the Committees continue to seek accountability.
Click here to read the letter to Chairmen Comer and Green.
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