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Submitting a Complaint

What NOT to Report to the OIG

What to Report TO the OIG

The following matters are generally not
investigated by the DOJ OIG:
  • 911 emergencies
  • EEO complaints
  • Misconduct by judges at the federal, state, or local level
  • Misconduct by state and local police departments (unless the misconduct concerns DOJ grant funds)
  • Misconduct at state and local prisons (unless the complainant involves a U.S. Marshals Service detainee)
You may report waste, fraud, abuse, or misconduct relating to a DOJ employee, program, contract, or grant to the OIG Hotline. In addition, allegations of improper profiling or bias by a DOJ law enforcement officer may also be reported to the OIG Hotline.  The OIG accepts complaints related to the following DOJ components:
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Drug Enforcement Administration
  • Federal Bureau of Prisons
  • U.S. Marshals Service
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
  • United States Attorneys' Offices
  • Other DOJ Offices, Bureaus, or Divisions

 

The DOJ OIG also has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of whistleblower retaliation involving:
  • Employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Employees of DOJ contractors, subcontractors, grantees, and subgrantees
  • DOJ employees who believe their security clearance or access to classified information has been taken in retaliation for whistleblowing

 

 

The OIG has jurisdiction over complaints of misconduct against Department of Justice employees, including:

  • the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
  • Drug Enforcement Administration;
  • Federal Bureau of Prisons;
  • U.S. Marshals Service;
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
  • United States Attorneys Offices; and
  • Employees who work in other Divisions or Offices in the Department of Justice, with the one exception of allegations of misconduct by a Department attorney or law enforcement personnel that relate to the exercise of the Department attorney's authority to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice are the responsibility of the Department's Office of Professional Responsibility.

In addition, section 1001 of the USA Patriot Act, signed into law on October 26, 2001, directs the Inspector General to review information and receive complaints alleging abuses of civil rights and civil liberties by Department of Justice employees.

If your complaint does not specifically involve wrongdoing concerning a Department of Justice employee, program, grant, or contract, and instead involves another federal agency, you should make your complaint to the Office of Inspector General in that agency. Please visit IGNET at https://www.ignet.gov/ for a listing of other federal Offices of Inspectors General.

Individuals who report allegations are not required to provide their identity to the OIG. However, persons who report allegations are encouraged to identify themselves to help the OIG evaluate and investigate the complaints.

Confidentiality for complainants is established by Section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, which prohibits the OIG from disclosing the identity of a DOJ employee who reports an allegation or provides information, without the employee’s consent, unless the OIG determines that disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation.

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct by Department of Justice employees, contractors, or grantees. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3. Submission of any information is voluntary. However, failure to provide the OIG with all of the information needed to investigate could result in an incomplete investigation. The OIG maintains this information in a system of records, OIG-001, Office of Inspector General Investigative Records, 72 Fed. Reg. 36725 (July 5, 2007). The routine uses that may be made of this information are listed at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-07-05/pdf/E7-12992.pdf.

Contract Fraud

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate violations of civil or criminal law or regulation. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3, and the FAR Amendment, 73 Fed. Reg. 67064 (December 12, 2008). Pursuant to the FAR, contractors are required to notify the OIG in writing whenever they have credible evidence that a principle, employee, agent, or subcontractor of the contractor has committed a violation of the civil False Claims Act or of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations in connection with the award, performance, or closeout of a contract or subcontract.

Grant Fraud

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate violations of civil or criminal law or regulation. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3.  Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.113, grantees, subgrantees, and grant applicants must disclose violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting a grant to the federal awarding agency.  While disclosures of such criminal violations to the OIG are voluntary, failure to provide the OIG with all of the information needed to investigate could result in an incomplete investigation.