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Anthony Despacito tells Senate HELP he will focus inspector general office on rooting out waste, fraud and human trafficking
Summary
Anthony Despacito, President Trump's nominee for Department of Labor inspector general, emphasized his law-enforcement background and pledged to embed the OIG with local law enforcement to address child and human trafficking and to pursue oversight of department programs.
Anthony Despacito, President Trump's nominee for inspector general at the Department of Labor, told the Senate HELP Committee he would use his law-enforcement experience to pursue waste, fraud and abuse in department programs and to deepen coordination with state and local authorities on trafficking and related enforcement.
Despacito described a career as an Island Park volunteer firefighter, New York City Police Department detective, local official and a former member of Congress. He said he would travel to OIG regional offices and “embed” the inspector general’s office with local and state law enforcement where trafficking is a known problem.
“Under his leadership, we will go after waste, fraud, and abuse, not in press releases, but in results,” he said, pledging visits to regional offices and greater outreach to state and local agencies.
Senators asked Despacito about the OIG’s independence and whether he would continue open investigations begun by prior inspectors general. He said he would lead the office “without fear or favor,” but declined to commit to continuing specific investigations until he had reviewed case files. When questioned about the statutory independence of inspectors general, he cited his history of working under multiple leaders in law enforcement and said he would carry out oversight regardless of political leadership.
On coordination, Despacito said the OIG should make state and local law enforcement aware of the office’s resources and embed staff in jurisdictions that lack capacity to investigate trafficking, arguing that local investigators best know local patterns of exploitation. He also described a priority to ensure taxpayer dollars “are respected” and programs serve intended beneficiaries.
Despacito’s nomination drew questions about prior firings of inspectors general and the role of partisan independence; he said courts had addressed some of those actions and reiterated his commitment to independent oversight if confirmed.
The committee did not vote on his nomination at the hearing and accepted written questions for the record.
