Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community’s Statement on the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Letter to the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel

Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community’s Statement on the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Letter to the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel

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On October 22, 2019, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) sent a letter on behalf of 67 Inspectors General to the Honorable Steven A. Engel, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). In its letter, CIGIE expresses support for the position taken by the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG), as set forth in the ICIG’s earlier letter to OLC, dated September 17, 2019. In its letter of support, CIGIE stated, “[W]e agree with the ICIG that the OLC opinion creates a chilling effect on effective oversight and is wrong as a matter of law and policy. We urge you to reconsider the conclusions of the OLC opinion and withdraw or modify it.” CIGIE also concluded that: “OLC substituted its judgment and reversed a determination the statute specifically entrusted to the ICIG because of its independence, objectivity, and expertise to credibly assess the information. In our view, the OLC’s opinion undermines the independence of the ICIG and wrongly interprets the respective roles and responsibilities of IGs and agency heads under the ICWPA [Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act].”