Tuesday, September 27, 2011
It’s not often the federal government winds up saving money by spending it. But that’s what it’s done by employing 62 inspectors general through the Executive Branch and among independent agencies who regularly turn up billions of dollars in potential savings to the U.S. Treasury.
In 2009, the government’s inspectors general spent about $2.3 billion to conduct audits and investigations—and in the process discovered $43.3 billion in expenditures that could be done away with. That comes out to a return of $18 for every dollar invested in inspectors general.
According to a report issued by the Government Accountability Office, “The IGs also reported about 5,900 criminal actions, 1,100 civil actions, 4,400 suspensions and debarments, and 6,100 indictments as a result of their work.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Federal Watchdogs a Good Bargain, Report Says (by Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post)
Inspectors General: Reporting on Independence, Effectiveness, and Expertise (Government Accountability Office) (pdf)
Why is Congress Cutting the Budget of Agency that Saves Billions of Dollars? (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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