Watchdog: DHS took 'more than 3 years to investigate' majority of whistleblower retaliation cases

Watchdog: DHS took 'more than 3 years to investigate' majority of whistleblower retaliation cases "OIG officials told GAO that case complexity and limited staff affected some case time frames, and that they have focused more on investigation quality and thoroughness than timeliness," the watchdog said in the report. The Government Accountability Office finds a recently released report that the Department of Homeland Security's chief oversight office took more than 3 years to investigate the majority of whistleblower retaliation cases.

GAO said in the report that “timeliness is a problem" at DHS's Office of Inspector General that "could undermine whistleblowers' confidence in their protections. " "OIG took over 3 years to investigate the majority (39 of 73) of the cases it opened and closed in fiscal years 2018 through 2025," according to the report. GAO officials said in the report that OIG officials told them that case complexity and limited staff affected some case timeframes and that they have "focused more on investigation quality and thoroughness than timeliness.