House Committee Probes Commerce Inspector General Over Alleged Whistleblower Retaliation, False Statements To Congress

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on Thursday launched a bipartisan investigation into the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Commerce over allegations the agency’s chief had engaged in whistleblower retaliation.

The Committee members alleged that Inspector General Peggy Gustafson and “senior members” of the OIG had engaged in the retaliation, made misleading statements to Congress and conducted operations with “gross mismanagement,” according to a letter signed by Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren, an Oklahoma Republican and California Democrat respectively, citing reports received by the Committee. The letter also notes the “billions of dollars” recently appropriated by the Biden administration from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act fall under the OIG’s oversight, and that hostilities towards whistleblowers would “fundamentally undermine” the ability of the OIG to perform its duties. (RELATED: Fraudsters Likely Stole At Least $60 Billion In Pandemic Unemployment Benefits, Gov’t Report Says)

“Based upon the allegations received and evidence reviewed, the Committee has concluded that further investigative steps are warranted,” the congressmen wrote. The Committee required all OIG staffers named in the report schedule interviews with the Committee by April 20.

We launched a bipartisan investigation into serious allegations of misconduct in @CommerceOIG including retaliation against whistleblowers. ???? Read the letter from @RepFrankLucas @JayObernolte & @sciencedems @RepZoeLofgren @ValerieFoushee: https://t.co/qFO8oHqMD6 pic.twitter.com/gPantlg7Yb

— House Science Committee (@housescience) April 6, 2023

The letter does not make clear the nature of the alleged whistleblower retaliation, and the names of four OIG staffers who the Committee has requested to interview were redacted.

The letter was also signed by Republican Jay Obernolte of California and Democrat Valerie Foushee of North Carolina, the chairman and ranking member respectively of the Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigation and Oversight.

The House Science Committee and Commerce Department OIG did not immediately respond to a Daily Caller News Foundation

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.