The Homeland Safety watchdog now underneath scrutiny for his dealing with of deleted Secret Service textual content messages from the Jan. 6, 2021, assault beforehand was accused of deceptive Justice Division investigators and working “afoul” of ethics laws whereas he was a federal agent accountable for a DOJ inspector normal subject workplace in Tucson, in line with a newly disclosed authorities report.
Washington
Homeland Security watchdog previously accused of misleading investigators, report says
Within the 2013 report from Justice Division’s inspector normal, which was by no means publicly launched, investigators mentioned they did “not consider” Joseph V. Cuffari’s rationalization for why he failed to tell his supervisors — towards federal guidelines — about his testimony in a lawsuit introduced by a federal prisoner.
Individually, they discovered that he broke ethics guidelines by referring regulation corporations to the prisoner’s household, together with corporations the place a few of his shut pals labored. “We concluded Cuffari’s actions violated the IG handbook’s prohibition on unethical conduct,” mentioned the report, which additionally famous that he might have violated tips through the use of his authorities electronic mail to foyer for a place as inspector normal for the Arizona Nationwide Guard, amongst different points.
An inner crew really helpful referring Cuffari to the Workplace of Inspector Normal’s investigations unit for a deeper evaluation of his actions, the report mentioned — however Cuffari shortly retired and later labored for the workplace of then-Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R).
When he was nominated 5 years later by President Donald Trump to turn into the Homeland Safety watchdog, Cuffari advised Senate lawmakers in a questionnaire that he had been totally truthful to investigators in that case. Senators in each events didn’t press him for particulars of the Justice Division probe earlier than his affirmation in July 2019.
The brand new particulars within the report, which was obtained by The Washington Submit, elevate questions on how totally Cuffari was vetted for some of the vital oversight jobs in authorities, specialists mentioned, and about his suitability to steer a employees of 750 auditors and investigators with oversight of an company with a workforce of 240,000 and a $50 billion price range.
A spokesperson for Cuffari’s workplace issued a press release by way of electronic mail Wednesday, noting that Cuffari had been totally vetted by FBI, the White Home and the Senate through the nomination course of. The Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment. Concerning the report, the spokesperson mentioned Cuffari “has not acquired nor seen the report back to which you refer.”
Cuffari mentioned he was pleased with his file within the Air Pressure and within the Justice Division’s inspector normal workplace, the place he mentioned he probed alleged violations of federal prisoners’ civil rights. The spokesperson, who was not recognized, additionally mentioned that Cuffari acquired quite a few awards and “retired with a spotless file from DOJ OIG.”
Cuffari’s three years as inspector normal have been marked by quite a few allegations of partisan decision-making and investigative failures — most just lately, his resolution in February to scrap efforts by his division to recuperate Secret Service texts despatched through the Jan. 6 rebellion. The Protection Division’s inspector normal workplace has additionally been investigating allegations for greater than a yr that Cuffari retaliated towards a number of whistleblowers on his employees, in line with people accustomed to the case.
The lacking texts are actually on the middle of an investigation by the Home committee probing the Jan. 6 assaults, and Democratic lawmakers have accused Cuffari of failing to behave aggressively within the case.
Cuffari’s nomination sailed by a committee of federal inspectors normal that interviewed him for lower than an hour and really helpful his candidacy to the Trump White Home.
Regardless of his lack of high-level administration expertise and a authorities profession wherein he superior over 20 years to a task supervising fewer than 5 brokers in an outpost of the Justice Division’s watchdog division, the White Home and the Senate moved shortly to put in Cuffari at Homeland Safety after controversies had engulfed a string of earlier watchdogs.
“Honesty and integrity are nonnegotiable in watchdogs,” mentioned Nick Schwellenbach, a senior investigator with the nonprofit Venture On Authorities Oversight, which this week referred to as on President Biden to fireside Cuffari. “How can Congress, the White Home and the general public belief him on issues of grave public significance?”
Home Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Homeland Safety Committee Chair Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), in a press release, mentioned the report “raises but extra questions” about whether or not Cuffari can full an investigation into the lacking Secret Service textual content messages “with impartiality and integrity as Inspector Normal.”