June 28th, 2013

The Lead on Friday: Who’s watching the watchmen? Jake Tapper reports

Coming up today on The Lead with Jake Tapper, a report on the letter sent to Charles Edwards, the Department of Homeland Security acting Inspector General, by Sens. Claire McCaskill and Ron Johnson. In it, Edwards is accused of various misconduct that the two allege has been brought to their attention by “numerous whistleblowers.” Tapper will interview Sen. Ron Johnson live during the 4 p.m. ET program.

From CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper:

Inspectors general are the internal watchdogs in government, the independent officers upon whom the public relies.

But what happens when the inspectors general themselves are accused of wrongdoing? Who watches the watchmen?

CNN has obtained a letter from the chair and ranking Republican on the Senate subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight to the acting inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, Charles Edwards, laying out a number of potentially damaging allegations against him, including his being susceptible to political pressure to the point that an investigation into Secret Service misconduct in Cartagena, Colombia, was scrubbed of damaging information.

Read more via http://www.CNN.com/TheLead:

Who’s watching the watchmen? Dept. of Homeland Security Inspector General accused of various misdeeds

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