A dogfight is brewing between two watchdog organizations over the treatment of whistleblower allegations in the Defense Department.

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) is accusing the DoD Inspector General of “systemic weaknesses and apparent cultural aversion to whistleblowers,” a March 8 letter stated.

The letter says the DoD IG’s culture of aversion creates a substantial barrier to the office effectively performing its duties to protect DoD whistleblowers, prevent abusive misspending and support the warfighter.

Also, the letter suggested DoD IG’s Administrative Investigations leadership, management and staff may have purposely altered records to mislead the Government Accountability Office in some of its investigations.

It calls on the new acting DoD IG Glenn Fine to make fundamental changes to the Administrative Investigations (AI) Office leadership.

In an email to Federal News Radio, Fine said “the leadership of [Administrative Investigations] was unfairly attacked in POGO’s letter, and that Deputy Inspector General AI, Marguerite Garrison, and her senior officials are leading the component in the right direction.  AI has the difficult job of conducting tough, fair, thorough, and timely whistleblower reprisal investigations, and I believe that AI leadership and staff are working hard to handle those duties in a responsible way.”

The POGO letter points to a 2015 GAO report which states “DoD IG has dismissed 84.6 percent of the cases it has received since pledging to make reforms in 2012.”

The 2012 reforms allude to a previous GAO report that recommended DoD IG improve its whistleblower investigation timeliness.

POGO stated it is worried the dismissal rate has increased following the 2012 GAO report to reduce the “cycle time” by closing cases that failed to provide information. The cases then would be moved faster through the system.

The 2015 report stated DoD IG had taken some steps to improve its timeliness. Still, the report noted that for 2013 and 2014 the average investigation time was 526 days, almost three times DoD’s internal 180-day requirement.

The letter also criticized the culture toward whistleblowers in DoD IG and pointed to a 2002 independent review as proof that the office is hostile to internal whistleblowers within its own office.

Fine said he believes “the letter is one-sided and dated, and it took various GAO findings out of context.  It also ignores the significant progress Administrative Investigations has made to improve the handling of whistleblower reprisal allegations.  Certainly, more progress can be made in various areas, and we are seeking to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of investigations.  We will continue to do so.”

POGO also sent the letter  to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the heads of the House and Senate armed services committees.

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