By Moira Warburton
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two top Democrats in the U.S. Congress called for the internal watchdog of the Department of Homeland Security to resign on Thursday, after the release of a nonpartisan report alleging repeated misconduct and obstruction.
DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari's conduct was "evidence that he has seriously compromised the public's trust and is plainly not fit to serve in a position that requires him to guard the public interest and act beyond reproach," Representative Jamie Raskin, top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Bennie Thompson, the senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a joint statement.
A report released by the independent Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency said that Cuffari, appointed by Republican President Donald Trump in 2019, lied to Congress about previous investigations into his misconduct, and said he wasted $1.4 million of taxpayer dollars on investigations of former senior staff in personal retaliation suits.
In response to the report, House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Republican, attacked the council, known by the acronym CIGIE, saying lawmakers "have raised serious concerns with the length of time CIGIE has spent investigating this matter and questions remain regarding due process safeguards."
He added that the committee has requested a review of the council's processes from the Government Oversight Committee.
"The Committee will continue to review the entire report, and we anticipate further discussions," Comer said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The role of inspector general is to prevent fraud and misconduct within the government. The U.S. government has 72 inspectors general.