McCaskill Votes to Support President Trump’s Nominee for Top Intelligence Watchdog

Senator: ‘The Intelligence Community Inspector General plays a key role in ensuring agencies are doing their part to keep Missourians and all Americans safe’

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today voted to support the nomination of Michael Atkinson to serve as Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. Inspectors General conduct oversight over federal agencies and work to identify waste, fraud, and abuse.

“The Intelligence Community Inspector General plays a key role in ensuring our intelligence agencies are doing their part to keep Missourians and all Americans safe,” McCaskill said. “Mr. Atkinson has an impressive background in national security and if confirmed, I look forward to working with him to hold the Intelligence Community accountable for fulfilling its critical responsibilities.”

The Intelligence Community Inspector General is responsible for oversight over agencies including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and intelligence organizations under the Department of Defense. Prior to his nomination, Atkinson served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice National Security Division. Now that he has been approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, his nomination will move to consideration by the full Senate. 

McCaskill has served on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee since joining the Senate in 2007, and has prioritized weeding out waste, fraud, and abuse—which is often brought to light by agencies’ Inspectors General. McCaskill recently demanded answers after a recent Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report found that three top officials at the Transportation Security Administration intervened in a senior employee’s misconduct case to significantly reduce his punishment. Following a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, McCaskill called for answers over rampant waste in a now-shuttered Defense Department program that obligated over $675 million to assist with Afghanistan economic projects. In 2015, McCaskill partnered with Republican Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Chuck Grassley of Iowa to pass a bill further empowering Inspectors General to conduct oversight targeting waste, fraud, and abuse. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill successfully called for the resignation of the NASA Inspector General following reports of ineffective audit records, retaliation against whistleblowers, and other inappropriate actions. 

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability.

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