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“I urge you to remove her,” Wyden wrote.
Wyden’s letter comes as Ennis, who was appointed to the Trump administration in 2019, faces multiple long-running investigations into her leadership, including oversight of the $200 billion disability benefit program administered by Social Security. It was announced inside.Mr. Ennis has drawn particular scrutiny for anti-fraud programs run by the Office of the Inspector General. It imposed hefty fines on disabled claimants and was also said to be retaliation for officials who raised the alarm on the practice, which began under Ennis’ predecessor and continued on her watch. ing.
Wyden’s Letters too He cited issues raised by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association’s vote of “no confidence” in him in 2021, citing “misguided policies that impede investigative ability.”
Additionally, Wyden wrote that “staff morale has deteriorated,” ranking her office second out of 432 agencies in the latest 2022 Best Places to Work rankings from the Partnership for Public Service. He pointed out that it was ranked. This marks an improvement from her 2021, when Ennis’ office was last in the employee engagement category.
Ennis spokeswoman Rebecca Rose defended the inspector. Regarding the general’s actions, Ennis told the Washington Post: “We have been consistent and thorough in our response to Chairman Wyden, meeting with his staff and sending multiple letters regarding his concerns.”
The White House did not immediately respond to messages about the letter.
In May 2022, The Post reported on the range of anti-fraud program fines, including unprecedented fines for more than 100 beneficiaries without due process. The fine went against previous procedures that required authorities to consider financial status, remorse and other factors. Instead, people, mostly poor and disabled, were ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
In response to the article, Democratic leaders on the House Ways and Means Committee said, “We are outraged by this shocking report,” and SSA Acting Administrator Kiroro Kijakazi announced that he was the Inspector General for Disability Benefits Programs. The company has begun pursuing a director.
The Office of the Special Counsel, an independent agency that protects federal whistleblowers, and the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), a government-wide watchdog that oversees inspector general matters, also filed a complaint regarding Mr. Ennis’ activities. An investigation has begun.
The investigation by Kijakazi, CIGIE, and the Office of the Special Counsel continues.
In July, Wyden demanded answers from Ennis in an 11-page letter, citing repeated claims of lost productivity and retaliation. In his November letter, Wyden also complained about a defamation lawsuit filed by the inspector general’s chief adviser against two whistleblowers. (The suit also names the Post and other defendants.)
In a new letter, Wyden urges Biden to “take immediate action to bring new leadership to the SSA OIG so the agency can continue its important work overseeing the management of Social Security programs and operations.” I can concentrate on that.”
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