Jurisdiction, Confidentiality, Retaliation, and Privacy

OIG Jurisdiction

The OIG has jurisdiction over all complaints of misconduct against Department of Justice employees, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Attorneys Offices; and employees who work in other Divisions or Offices in the Department of Justice. (The one exception is that allegations of misconduct by a Department attorney or law enforcement personnel that relate to the exercise of the Department attorney's authority to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice are the responsibility of the Department's Office of Professional Responsibility.)

In addition, section 1001 of the USA Patriot Act, signed into law on October 26, 2001, directs the Inspector General to review information and receive complaints alleging abuses of civil rights and civil liberties by Department of Justice employees.

If your complaint does not specifically involve wrongdoing concerning a Department of Justice employee, program, grant, or contract, and instead involves another federal agency, you should make your complaint to the Office of Inspector general in that agency. Please visit IGNET at http://www.ignet.gov/ for a listing of other federal Offices of Inspectors General.

Confidentiality

Individuals who report allegations are not required to provide their identity to the OIG. However, persons who report allegations are encouraged to identify themselves to help the OIG evaluate and investigate the complaints.

Confidentiality for complainants is established by Section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, which prohibits the OIG from disclosing the identity of a DOJ employee who reports an allegation or provides information, without the employee’s consent, unless the OIG determines that disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation.

Reporting Retaliation

Department of Justice employees who believe they have experienced retaliation at work for making a disclosure of waste, fraud, abuse or misconduct may report the alleged retaliation using the links at http://www.justice.gov/oig/hotline/ for reporting waste, fraud, abuse, or misconduct. Department of Justice employees, other than FBI employees, may also report retaliation to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, at 800-572-2249, or at www.OSC.gov.

Privacy Act Notice

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct by Department of Justice employees, contractors, or grantees. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3. Submission of any information is voluntary. However, failure to provide the OIG with all of the information needed to investigate could result in an incomplete investigation. The OIG maintains this information in a system of records, OIG-001, Office of Inspector General Investigative Records, 72 Fed. Reg. 36725 (July 5, 2007). The routine uses that may be made of this information are listed at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-12992.htm.

Contract Fraud

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate violations of civil or criminal law or regulation. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3, and the FAR Amendment, 73 Fed. Reg. 67064 (December 12, 2008). Pursuant to the FAR, contractors are required to notify the OIG in writing whenever they have credible evidence that a principle, employee, agent, or subcontractor of the contractor has committed a violation of the civil False Claims Act or of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations in connection with the award, performance, or closeout of a contract or subcontract.

Grant Fraud

The OIG may use the information you provide to investigate violations of civil or criminal law or regulation. The OIG is authorized to collect this information pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978 as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3. Grantees receiving funds under the American Recovery And Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) are required by the Office and Management of Budget to report credible evidence of violations of the civil False Claims Act or certain violations of criminal law that have occurred in connection with a Recovery Act grant. For other grantees submission of any information is voluntary. However, failure to provide OIG with all of the information needed to investigate could result in an incomplete investigation.