Today, Empire Report published an op-ed by Inspector General Lucy Lang on the latest attempt to silence federal inspectors general and the need for the public to rally in support of independent oversight. Text of the op-ed can be viewed online and is available below:

Inspectors general (IGs) are the watchdogs who both sniff out corruption and root out waste and fraud in government. One of President Trump’s first acts of his second term was to fire 17 independent, non-political appointees who monitored federal agencies.

The attacks continue. On the eve of the government shutdown, President Trump’s budget director announced that he was defunding the organization that helps to coordinate the efforts of the federal inspector general community, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). This is such a bad idea that two ranking Republican Senators, Charles Grassley and Susan Collins, almost immediately announced their opposition.

But to stop the backdoor budget attack on CIGIE, the public needs to rally in support of independent oversight. The federal inspector general community is ill-positioned to defend against this continuing attack. That’s why I, along with, my fellow Inspectors General from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, and Montgomery County, Maryland have stepped up.

The reality is that billions of federal dollars flow through to programs and projects that we oversee at the state and local level. If there are no effective federal watchdogs, the risk of fraud and corruption in how those dollars are spent goes up.

That means fewer dollars for hospitals, schools and vital services. We need effective federal IGs to investigate with rigor, independence, and impact.

And the federal IG community needs CIGIE to support its work and uphold standards for what they are charged with doing every day. Doctors have the American College of Physicians. Lawyers have the American Bar Association. Like these organizations, CIGIE is essential to developing standards, providing training and technical support, and sharing best practices across all federal IGs.

In a rapidly changing environment – particularly with the evolution of artificial intelligence – fraud and corruption are continually being committed in novel ways. The exchange of ideas and resources amongst the professionals dedicated to their detection and prevention is critical.

Indeed, every dollar spent on CIGIE’s mission delivers an estimated $26 in taxpayer savings. This return on investment reflects audits, investigations, and recommendations that protect billions of dollars in public funds each year. CIGIE promotes consistency across agencies and strengthens oversight entities’ ability to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

The ripple effects of CIGIE’s work extend far beyond Washington. State and local oversight professionals look to CIGIE to develop best practices, foster innovation, and respond to emerging challenges.

Defunding CIGIE is not a cost-saving measure — it is a calculated and direct blow to independent oversight. It undermines accountability, politicizes anti-corruption work, and will further erode public confidence in government, already at an all-time low. It will diminish the capacity to detect waste, fraud, and abuse across government, and undermine the promise of good governance. This is not an abstract concern — it is a real risk to the ability of government to operate effectively and ethically.

I hope that New Yorkers will join me in urging the Administration to reject these proposed cuts. CIGIE is a proven, nonpartisan institution that saves taxpayer dollars, curbs waste and strengthens accountability. At stake is not just a budget line — it is the integrity of oversight itself, and with it, the trust that Americans place in their government.

Lucy Lang is the New York State Inspector General.