The official who’s supposed to watch the Department of Homeland Security and report misdeeds on behalf of the American taxpayer is now himself under fire, facing congressional investigation for suspected nepotism and covering up a Secret Service prostitution scandal.
Two senators charged in a letter to Deputy Inspector General Charles K. Edwards that he was “susceptible to political pressure” when he began looking into charges that Secret Service agents visited prostitutes in Colombia in 2012, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Sens. Claire McCaskill and Ron Johnson also said they’ve received “numerous” complaints from government workers who say Mr. Edwards hired his wife to a supervisory position in his office and that he let her telecommute from India for seven months.
The letter also says Mr. Edwards was too “retaliatory action” against those who complained.
Ms. McCaskill heads the oversight subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ms. Johnson is the subcommittee’s leading Republican, L.A. Times said.
Mr. Edwards’ fellow workers also say he abused his travel fund account, awarded employees who helped him write a paper for his Ph.D. course with bonuses and improperly ordered department staffers to write lesson plans for a college course he taught in Maryland.
Mr. Edwards denied any wrongdoing on Tuesday and called the charges “completely without merit,” L.A. Times reported.
He has held the senior position in the inspector general’s office since early 2011.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.