A top Senate Democrat is demanding answers from Social Security’s embattled watchdog about allegations of low productivity, poor morale and retaliation against whistleblowers in her office.
Rebecca Rose, spokeswoman for the inspector general’s office, said in an email that Ennis “has received the letter from Chairman Wyden and appreciates the opportunity to clarify the issues raised in the letter.”The anti-fraud program relies on civil penalties to recoup money for the government when a claimant receives improper disability benefits. The sums are considered too small for criminal prosecution.
“To be clear, those who commit fraud should be held accountable,” Wyden wrote in his July 17 letter, noting that Congress approved a system of civil penalties. “However, Congress also explicitly instructed [The Social Security Administration] to protect each individual’s due process rights, and to carefully consider the circumstances of the offense and the individual — including his or her financial condition — when determining the appropriate penalty amount.
Following The Post’s reporting in May 2022, acting Social Security commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi opened an investigation into Ennis’s oversight of the program., a group that investigates misconduct claims against inspectors general, and by the Office of Special Counsel, an independent office that protects federal employees and whistleblowers. Kijakazi ordered Ennis to suspend the program.
“The inquiry has moved forward in diligence and is ongoing,” Nicole Tiggemann, a Social Security spokeswoman, said in reference to Social Security’s investigation, which is reviewing penalties dating to 2015, a federal official said.A spokeswoman for Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is leading the CIGIE probe at the White House’s request, declined to comment.
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