Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the post-employment activities of the former Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), focusing on: (1) the former official's alleged violations of the Ethics in Government Act in using her prior HUD affiliation to secure meetings with visiting Soviet delegation members on behalf of her company and clients; and (2) alleged HUD oversights in monitoring her activities as a HUD consultant. GAO found that: (1) the former employee may have used her HUD contacts to promote her private interests, which was a matter for the Department of Justice to investigate; and (2) the HUD Office of Policy Development and Research failed to properly monitor and supervise the former official's consulting activities.