Probes at NASA plummet under its current IG accused of mismanagement

[babylonsister]

Probes at NASA plummet under its current IG


By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — NASA's watchdog office has sharply reduced its criminal investigations under a leader accused of mismanagement by a presidential commission and members of Congress, the space agency's records show.

The number of criminal probes opened by NASA's Office of Inspector General has fallen every year during Robert Cobb's tenure, a USA TODAY review of the agency's reports to Congress shows. Cobb's office opened 68 investigations of waste and fraud by agency employees and contractors during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, down from 508 in fiscal year 2002, when he took office, according to records.

By comparison, inspectors general at four similarly-sized agencies each opened hundreds of investigations last year: Labor, 418; Justice, 421; Agriculture, 385; Interior, 414, their reports to Congress show.

The result: Records show fewer people are facing consequences for wrongdoing at NASA, which has an annual budget of more than $17 billion. The number of NASA employees and contractors disciplined dropped 76% and cases referred for prosecution declined 23% since 2002, reports show.

The steady drop in investigations — which has continued every year for five years under Cobb — has renewed criticism of the ex-White House lawyer.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., one of four lawmakers who urged Cobb to quit at a congressional hearing in June, cited it in an interview as more evidence "he doesn't understand the fundamental purpose of his job."

more...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-01-10-nasa-probes_N.htm

[flashl]

1. To some IG's credit, they have been investigating and reporting massive

mismanagement. Anyone flying these days should be concern.