Young Highlights Need for Transparency, Accountability in Inspector General Investigation Process

Press Release

Today, Iowa Congressman David Young highlighted the critical need for transparency and accountability when it comes to audits and investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to prevent fraud and abuse for the American people. Congressman Young asked Ann Coffey, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the OIG, to explain how problems found through investigations could be corrected if the results are not publicly available for review.

The Congressman said, "In the rubric of transparency and accountability, how would we know then if something's going wrong with this fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, criminal activity maybe? How would we know about it for the taxpayer, how would we correct that if we can't see these?"

Young is pressing the OIG to promote transparency by ensuring public access to investigative reports and audits.

The exchange took place in a hearing to examine the federal budget held by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

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