Deputy Inspector General’s Announcement

"Change is the law of life, and those who only look to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” President John F. Kennedy On June 29, 2015, the VA Deputy Inspector General, Richard J. Griffin, informed the VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald and the VA Office of Inspector General workforce of his intention to retire after 43 ½ years of Federal service. His last day as VA Deputy Inspector General will be Independence Day, July 4, 2015, a fitting day for an organization that prides itself on independence and integrity. Upon his departure, the VA OIG’s Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, Linda A. Halliday, will assume the position of Deputy Inspector General. Mr. Griffin praised the VA OIG workforce, stating “Your collective effort and hard work have resulted in a remarkable record of performance and outstanding achievements. In the last 6 years alone, the VA OIG workforce has accounted for 1,931 reports; 11,350 arrests, indictments, convictions, and administrative sanctions; and achieved $22.5 billion in monetary impact, either through recommendations to VA in program efficiencies or in criminal fines, penalties, and sanctions representing a return on investment of $36 for every dollar invested in the OIG’s budget. In fact, in April 2015, the Brookings Center for Effective Management named the VA OIG the second most productive OIG organization in the Federal government based on the last 5 years’ return on investment.”