FEDERAL MARITIME

COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR 

GENERAL

Jon Hatfield

Inspector General

THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

The FMC’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) was 

established as a result of the Inspector General Act 

Amendments of 1988 (5 U.S.C. §2) to detect fraud, waste 

and abuse in the Commission’s programs and examine the 

efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations. Under 

the Inspector General Act (the IG Act), the OIG’s 

responsibilities are to: 

• Conduct and supervise independent and objective 

audits and investigations, and

• Review pending legislation and regulations, and 

• Keep the Commissioners and Congress fully and 

currently informed. 

Inspector Generals (IGs) are independent. While by law, 

IGs are under the general supervision of the 

Commissioners; the Commission cannot prevent or 

prohibit the IG from conducting an audit or investigation. 

The IG is authorized to: 

• Have direct access to all records and information of 

the agency, 

• Have ready access to the Commission, 

• Conduct such audits and investigations and issue 

reports as the IG believes appropriate (with limited 

national security and law enforcement exceptions), 

• Issue subpoenas for information and documents 

outside the agency (with the same limited exceptions), 

• Administer oaths for taking testimony, and 

• Hire and control their own staff and contract 

resources. 

Every six months the OIG prepares a semiannual report 

to Congress. The report, required by the IG Act, informs 

the Commissioners and Congress about the work done by 

the OIG and any concerns the OIG has with the 

administration of FMC programs and operations. 

OIG AUDITS AND REVIEWS

As required by the IG Act, the FMC OIG conducts 

audits and reviews of agency programs and activities. 

These activities provide an independent evaluation and 

appraisal of the financial and operating activities to 

assure integrity, efficiency, and economy of the 

Commission’s programs and activities. Audits are 

selected based on a number of factors, including (i) 

statutory requirements, (ii) materiality of the activity, 

(iii) agency staff comments regarding perceived 

vulnerabilities or inefficiencies, and (iv) 

complaints/requests from individuals outside the 

agency, including Congress, the media, and the public. 

Final audit reports are provided to the Commission and 

management officials responsible for implementing the 

audit recommendations. Final audit reports are public 

documents and are available on the OIG website. 

OIG INVESTIGATIONS

OIG investigations seek out facts related to allegations 

of wrongdoing. OIG investigations may address 

administrative, civil, and criminal violations of laws 

and regulations. The subject of an OIG investigation 

can be any agency employee, an FMC contractor, 

consultant, or a person or entity involved in alleged 

wrongdoing affecting FMC programs and operations. 

At the conclusion of an OIG investigation, the OIG 

prepares a report that sets forth the allegations and an 

objective description of the facts developed during the 

investigation. 

The OIG refers criminal activity or fraud to the 

Department of Justice for possible prosecution or 

recovery of monetary damages and penalties. If 

administrative misconduct is found, the OIG forwards 

the report to the appropriate management officials for 

consideration of disciplinary action. OIG investigative 

reports are generally not public documents and are not 

available on the OIG website. 
EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS

The identity of an FMC employee (complainant) who 

reports waste or wrongdoing to the OIG will be 

protected from disclosure. Confidentiality is 

established by Section 7(b) of the IG Act. The IG Act 

precludes the IG from disclosing the identity of an 

FMC employee who reports an allegation or provides 

information, without the employee’s consent, unless 

the IG determines that disclosure is unavoidable during 

the course of the investigation. In addition, the IG Act 

and the Whistleblower Protection Act (5 U.S.C. § 

1221(e)) prohibit reprisals against employees for 

complaining to or cooperating with the OIG. 

The OIG hotline serves as a mechanism for employees 

and contractors; other government agencies; and the 

general public to report allegations of fraud, waste, 

abuse, and mismanagement involving FMC programs, 

operations, personnel and funds. A person 

(complainant) may make an allegation anonymously. 

The OIG does not require that complainants provide 

their names to report an allegation. However, 

knowledge of a complainant’s identity greatly 

facilitates the OIG’s response to a 

complaint/allegation by allowing the caller to be 

contacted and questioned further about the matter or 

even to act as a witness in later proceedings.

THE IG COMMUNITY ONLINE

The official website for the IG community is 

www.ignet.gov. The site provides information such as 

the history, organization, mission, reports, and 

activities of the IG community. In addition, 

IGNet.gov has a directory of IGs and links to their 

websites. Finally, www.oversight.gov holds reports, 

audits, and investigations from many different IG 

offices.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The success of the OIG mission depends on the 

cooperation of all FMC employees. To report any 

matters involving improper activities at the FMC, we 

strongly encourage persons who suspect fraud, waste, 

abuse, or mismanagement to call, write, e-mail, or visit 

the OIG. The following constitutes a partial listing of 

violations of laws or regulations that should be reported:

• Contractors submitting false claims or statements;

• Employee falsification of government records, time 

cards, travel expense reports and claims for 

reimbursement of expenditures;

• Misuse of a government computer to access and/or 

download inappropriate material from the Internet;

• Abuse of government property, such as telephones, 

copiers, postage or computer equipment to conduct 

church, civic responsibilities, etc.; 

• Conversions or abuse of government property to 

conduct a personal business, such as a travel agency, 

real estate brokerage or management company, etc.;

• Conflict of interest by federal employees; 

• Violation of employee standards of conduct;

• Abuse of authority/power by a supervisor, such as 

using staff to perform duties that are unrelated to the 

FMC’s mission; and

• Mismanagement or waste of government funds 

relating to programs and operations.

Agency managers and supervisors are responsible for 

ensuring that allegations of wrongdoing they receive are 

promptly reported to the OIG.

CONTACTING THE OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL

Report Suspected 

Abuse of Authority, 

Mismanagement, 

Fraud & Waste

Hotline: 202-523-5865 

 Web: 

https://www2.fmc.gov/oigcomplaints

 

General Contact Information

Office of Inspector General

800 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 1020

Washington, DC 20573

oig@FMC.gov

202-523-5863

https://www.fmc.gov/about-the-fmc/bureausoffices/office-of-inspector-general/