Earl Devaney
Earl E. Devaney is a former Inspector General for the United States Department of the Interior and former Chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
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Early life and career with U.S. Secret Service
Devaney began his career in law enforcement in 1968 as a Massachusetts police officer. After graduating from Franklin and Marshall College in 1970 with a degree in Government, Devaney became a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service.[1][2]
Devaney served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Fraud Division until his retirement from the Secret Service in 1991, by which time he had gained international recognition as an expert on white-collar crime, and was regularly sought by major media organizations.[citation needed] During his tenure with the Secret Service, Devaney received five U.S. Department of Treasury Special Achievement Awards, as well as numerous honors and awards from several professional organizations.[citation needed]
Environmental Protection Agency
Upon leaving the Secret Service, Devaney became the Director of Criminal Enforcement for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In this position, Devaney oversaw all of EPA's criminal investigators and assumed management responsibility for EPA's Forensics Service Center and the National Enforcement Training Institute. Devaney's years of managerial excellence were recognized in 1998 with a Presidential Rank Award.
Department of Interior Inspector General
During his tenure at the Department of the Interior, Devaney helped to investigate disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, which led to the resignation of department secretary Gale Norton. Devaney also investigated Julie A. MacDonald, deputy assistant secretary at the Interior Department who had been appointed by Norton in 2002. MacDonald also resigned after an internal review found that she had violated federal rules by giving government documents to industry lobbyists.[3][4] Because of Devaney's findings, the US Fish and Wildlife Service ordered the review of eight endangered species decisions in which MacDonald was involved. Devaney called MacDonald's management "abrupt and abrasive, if not abusive,"[5] and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, who commissioned the report, attributed the "untold waste of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars" to MacDonald's actions.[6]
In 2008 Devaney investigated allegations of wrongdoing by a dozen current and former employees of the United States Minerals Management Service, and found that "a culture of ethical failure" pervaded the agency. Devaney's investigation found that eight officials accepted gifts from energy companies, whose value exceeded limits set by ethics rules. The investigation also concluded that several of the officials "frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives." According to the New York Times, "The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch."[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
In February 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his choice of Devaney to oversee the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 stimulus plan.[2][17]
Devaney retired from federal service in December 2011.[18]
References
- ↑ U.S. Department of the Interior - Inspector General Earl E. Devaney Biography
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Obama picks F&M alum to oversee stimulus plan
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- ↑ New York Times, "U.S. Agency May Reverse 8 Decisions on Wildlife", 21 July 2007
- ↑ Investigative Report of the Endangered Species Act and the Conflict Between Science and Policy Redacted
- ↑ Wyden-Requested IG Report on Interior Corruption Uncovers "Contempt for the Public Trust" and "Untold Waste" - Senator praises Devaney's investigation into political interference in ESA decisions.
- ↑ Sex, Drug Use and Graft Cited in Interior Department
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- ↑ White House Statement on Biden Overseeing Recovery Act
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