Fighting to Hold OPM Accountable

I sent a letter with House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz to U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro requesting his agency determine whether the actions of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) violated the Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA).

The multiple security breaches suffered by OPM allowed the sensitive records of over 20 million government personnel to be stolen by hackers. These breaches compromised the security clearance background investigation information of 21.5 million individuals, putting at risk the fingerprints, current and past addresses, family members’ names and dates of birth, and other personal information of our national security personnel. This letter continues my efforts with Chairman Chaffetz to hold OPM accountable to these employees, retirees, and their families.”

On June 24, 2015, I questioned senior OPM officials on the role of CyTech, a contractor providing information technology support to OPM, in discovering one of the security breaches.  These officials responded with misleading and inaccurate testimony that resulted in further investigation.  As a result, it was discovered that OPM may have violated the ADA by failing to pay CyTech for its services.  The ADA prohibits the federal government from accepting voluntary services unless there is an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. 

Congressman Turner and Chairman Chaffetz’s letter is also included the report released today by the Majority Staff of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee entitled, The OPM Data Breach: How the Government Jeopardized Our National Security for More than a Generation.