U. S. Department of Justice
Office of the Inspector General
The Inspector General
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Madam Attorney General:
The period from April 1 through September 30, 1996, was an eventful one for the Office of Inspector General. During this period, we completed our special investigation into the alleged deception of the Congressional Task Force on Immigration Reform by INS officials during a fact-finding trip to Miami in June 1995, as well as our investigation into the actions of the Justice Department in the wake of the murder of four U.S. Marines in the Zona Rosa district of El Salvador in 1985. I think these reports further cement our record over the past two years for undertaking and successfully completing difficult and complex investigations and making findings and recommendations that are driven solely by the facts, not by what is expedient or convenient. I appreciate your continuing support on these matters.
In connection with the Miami INS matter, I am very pleased, as I know you are, with the prompt manner in which the Department is taking action based on our findings of fact. I share your view that it is vitally important for this Department to deal fairly but swiftly with both misconduct and job performance deficiencies that do not meet the high standards we expect from Department employees. To those employees who work hard and perform well, it is frustrating and disillusioning to see egregious misconduct or sustained poor performance go unpunished. In an era of great cynicism about government, it is crucial that we dedicate substantial energy to making sure that the small number of bad apples in the Department are dealt with swiftly and severely. I am committed to working with you on this important issue.
As the Department continues to grow, we face difficult strategic choices of how to allocate the OIG's resources to deal with the most pressing problems and high risk areas of the Department's activities. I am proud of our record in taking on these tough issues. For example, we have conducted a number of audits over the last three years that have identified major problems with computer security in a number of Department components, including the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service. In addition, we have conducted a comprehensive series of audits of the aviation operations of various Department components, identifying shortcomings in their safety programs and maintenance procedures. In this semiannual period, our Inspections Division completed work showing serious defects in the way the INS deals with illegal aliens who are the beneficiaries of document fraud, and in a separate study, describing the shortcomings in the enforcement of the laws relating to the exploitation of illegal aliens. Though not gaining as much attention as some of our special investigations, these program reviews and evaluations performed by our Audit and Inspections Divisions play a vital role in assessing some of the most important programs and operations of the Department of Justice.
On behalf of the men and women of the OIG, I want to thank you for the significant financial support you provided us during the past six months. As you know, without that assistance, we would have had to make cuts that would not have been in the long-term interests of either the OIG or the Department. I look forward to working with you on the many important issues facing this Department.
Very truly yours,
Michael R. Bromwich
Inspector General