Via Fox News:
The Justice Department is facing bipartisan criticism for clamping down on government watchdogs’ access to documents, in a decision lawmakers say defies Congress and undermines those tasked with rooting out government misconduct.
The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a 68-page memo last week that said the department’s inspector general would be required to get permission from the agencies it oversees to obtain wire taps, grand jury testimonies, and credit information. IGs are assigned to audit and conduct internal reviews of federal agencies.
The decision, first reported in The Washington Post, faced an almost immediate backlash from Capitol Hill and the watchdogs themselves.
“I strongly disagree with the OLC opinion,” DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said in a statement. “Congress meant what it said when it authorized Inspectors General to independently access ‘all’ documents necessary to conduct effective oversight. … Without such access, our office’s ability to conduct its work will be significantly impaired.”