John V. Kelly stepped down from his role as the acting inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on June 11. The resignation comes after an internal report found significant issues with the DHS Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) audits and evaluations of FEMA’s performance.
The report found Mr. Kelly had directed staff to not to address systemic problems at the agency and instead to write “feel good” reports that praised the organization’s disaster responses. In total, more than a dozen FEMA audits were removed from circulation, with the office saying they did not meet federal standards.
While the report did not find that Mr. Kelly issued the directions for personal gain, the document provided several training and procedural reforms for the OIG to implement. Mr. Kelly had already planned to step down by July 31 or when the Senate confirmed his replacement, Joseph V. Cuffari.
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition has called on the House and Senate Homeland Security Committee to hold hearings on the failure of OIG to hold FEMA accountable.
Read the report at: https://bit.ly/2WN7ugg