NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell, Stupak Question Appointment of Commerce Department Acting Inspector General

Washington, D.C. – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, sent the following letter today to Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez regarding personnel decisions within the U.S. Department of Commerce following the June resignation of its Inspector General, Johnnie Frazier. Frazier resigned amid an Energy and Commerce Committee investigation of allegations of rampant corruption in his department, including travel fraud, contracting irregularities, wasteful expenditures, favoritism, pre-selection of Senior Executive Service candidates, retaliation against whistleblowers, destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice.

Following Frazier’s departure, Elizabeth Barlow, the Deputy Inspector General, was appointed to serve as the Acting Inspector General, despite the fact that she is the subject of numerous allegations of misconduct.

See August 7, 2007 letter