Top House Republicans Express Concerns Over the Election Assistance Commission’s Failure to Name a Permanent or Acting Inspector General

Request briefing on the EAC’s ability to oversee more than $1.2 billion in taxpayer money awarded in 2020

WASHINGTON – Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), and Subcommittee on Government Operations Ranking Member Jody Hice (R-Ga.) sent a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Donald Palmer expressing concerns over the EAC’s ongoing failure to name an acting or permanent Inspector General to lead the EAC’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The EAC’s Inspector General position has been vacant for nearly six months jeopardizing their ability to oversee the more than one billion dollars of grant funds recently awarded under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). 

“The EAC’s failure to name a permanent or acting Inspector General has left the EAC OIG with only one full-time employee, preventing the office from adequately overseeing the record $1.2 billion in HAVA grant funding that was awarded in 2020,” wrote the Republicans. Additionally, by failing to name a permanent or acting Inspector General, on-going priority investigations into the use of HAVA funds continue to languish, such as the EAC’s slow-moving investigation of then-California Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s apparent misuse of grant funding to contract with SKD Knickerbocker, Joe Biden’s main election campaign advisory firm.” 

On February 19, 2021, the Republicans wrote former U.S. EAC Inspector General Patricia Layfield demanding immediate action on the California Secretary of State’s $35 million get out the vote contract with SKD Knickerbocker. The questionable contract appears to be in violation of federal law and whenever taxpayer dollars are potentially wasted, abused, or mismanaged, an inspector general should undergo an investigation and expose any wrongdoing.  

“The Commission’s refusal to name a permanent or acting Inspector General raises questions about EAC’s dedication to investigating this contract and to ensuring that HAVA funds are used properly… Republicans are concerned that no one is overseeing how the more than $1.2 billion in taxpayer money is being spent,” concluded the Republicans.  

The Republican lawmakers are requesting an immediate briefing to understand why EAC has not named an acting Inspector General or hired a permanent Inspector General, and how the EAC is currently overseeing the taxpayer money that was awarded during 2020. 

Read the letter to Chairman Palmer here.