Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz will tell lawmakers during a congressional hearing Tuesday that the two oversight reviews he has conducted show that the department has done little to address a subculture of “good ol’ boy” behavior that has been around since the 1990s.
Mr. Horowitz will speak at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on how the Department of Justice has handled sexual misconduct issues among its employees. Mr. Horowitz is one of three high-level witnesses whom the committee is summoning to the hearing to discuss cartel-funded “sex parties” in Colombia, a lack of cooperation from the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration and potential national security threats.
During the hearing, Mr. Horowitz will discuss the reviews, which show that the Department of Justice is plagued by a wide range of issues. Those issues include the failure of FBI and DEA personnel to report suspected misconduct to their superiors as well as the department’s refusal to revise policies, according to his advance testimony. The testimony is dated April 14.
“Overall, both reviews show a need to improve the law enforcement components’ disciplinary and security processes as well as to clearly communicate DOJ’s and the components’ expectations for employee conduct,” Mr. Horowitz said in his testimony. “These actions will require strong messaging and action from Department and component leadership at all levels about what is acceptable behavior to ensure that Department employees meet the highest standards of conduct and accountability.”
The hearing comes on the heels of an all-hands-on-deck memo that U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. issued to Department of Justice personnel on Friday. In the memo, Mr. Holder warned department staff that soliciting prostitutes could get employees suspended or fired.
• Maggie Ybarra can be reached at mybarra@washingtontimes.com.
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