Democrats skeptical of watchdog pick
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats pressed White House lawyer Brian Miller on Tuesday about his ability to act independently of President Donald Trump if he is confirmed as a new inspector general.
Miller, who is currently senior associate counsel of the Office of White House Counsel, played a role in defending Trump during the recent impeachment inquiry. Trump has nominated him to serve as special inspector general for pandemic recovery. This would place him in charge of overseeing a roughly $500 billion Treasury fund created as part of Congress’s $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in late March.
Miller promised to monitor the Treasury Department’s spending objectively.
“If confirmed, I will conduct every audit and investigation with fairness and impartiality,” he said behind a face mask. “I will be vigilant to protect the integrity and independence of the office of special inspector general. I pledge to seek the truth in all matters that come before me, and use my authority and resources to uncover fraud, waste and abuse.”
Democrats were skeptical.
“Mr. Miller, your time working as one of the president’s defense attorneys should have disqualified you from being nominated to oversee the president’s management of one of the largest corporate bailouts in American history,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “He has already said he will muzzle you. You will, however, have the chance to defend your independence and your integrity by your actions.”
After approving nearly $3 trillion to rescue the economy from the coronavirus pandemic, Congress has moved very slowly in formally scrutinizing how the money has been spent. The Trump administration has already said it is backstopping more than $500 billion in newly issued business loans. It has also begun issuing more than $200 billion in “economic impact” payments to households.
Lawmakers haven’t conducted any oversight hearings yet, largely because lawmakers have steered clear of the Capitol during the pandemic.
Miller rebuffed his Democratic doubters by pointing to his nearly decade-long tenure as the General Services Administration’s inspector general under Republican and Democratic presidents.
“At every point I had to fight for independence to perform audits and investigations — objectively, fairly, independently — and I met with resistance,” he said. “Throughout my tenure as inspector general, I conducted investigations of major contractors much to the chagrin of people in leadership positions at the GSA and I dare say in Congress, and I received criticism for that.”
In response to supportive questions from Republicans, Miller said that at the General Services Administration he withstood pressure from Republican lawmakers and officials to squash investigations unfavorable to GOP appointees. Miller also uncovered an extravagant General Services Administration conference in Las Vegas in 2010 that led to the organizer’s criminal conviction.
Senate Banking ranking member Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, invited Miller to criticize Trump’s retaliation against acting Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm, but he demurred, to the ranking member’s disappointment. “You have a bar you need to get over to demonstrate your independence, and I was hoping this would be a way of doing it,” Brown said.
The position he has been nominated for is modeled after the inspector general created to oversee the federal bailout passed during the financial crisis a decade ago. That inspector general uncovered numerous instances of fraud that sent people to jail.
Miller also said he expects to hire between 75 and 100 staffers for his office, which has a $25 million budget.
Government watchdogs questioned whether any former White House staff member, especially one who worked to block congressional investigations into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, could remain independent.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., asked Miller whether he would tell Congress if the president tried to stop him from reporting his findings.
“I will report any undue influence on me from whatever source,” Miller said.
Miller pledged to use all the tools available to him to root out corruption.
“If someone is gaming the system, taking advantage of the system, or even self-dealing, I would like to know that and report on that,” he said. “So, I will analyze those transactions very carefully … and, if necessary, subpoena the information if I can’t get it otherwise.”