The Department of Homeland Security inspector general, Joseph Cuffari, was warned in a letter that he would have to consider "alternative measures" to ensure his compliance.
On the day of the Capitol riot, Cuffari and his staff refused to submit to interviews regarding missing Secret Service text messages. There were a lot of messages sent by members of the Secret Service that were deleted.
The lawmakers alleged that Cuffari failed to inform them that the Secret Service was not cooperating with information requests. They said that Cuffari neglected to inform lawmakers when he found out the texts had been erased.
In light of our grave concerns about your lack of transparency and independence, we urged you to step aside from this critical investigation and allow another IG to finish it.
The Secret Service, which operates under Homeland Security, has faced intense scrutiny recently over the apparent deletion of text messages from the day of the insurrection. The messages were lost during a device-replacement program, but agents were told multiple times to back up any messages.
The Secret Secret did not do anything wrong. A person who answered the request for comment did not reply.
The Washington Post reported last month that Cuffari had interfered with subordinates' plans to retrieve the devices and had them examined by data specialists.
The Senate confirmed Cuffari as the DHS inspector general in the year after he was nominated. He worked as an advisor to the governor.
The Post reported last year that Cuffari had blocked an investigation into the Secret Service's handling of protests at Lafayette Square in June 2020 where crowds were teargassed ahead of a photo-op for then- President Trump in front of a nearby church.
The reports detailing the findings of domestic abuse and sexual harassment by DHS employees, as well as communications and drafts related to the investigation, were also included in the report. The release was delayed while Cuffari sought legal advice on whether he could reveal deliberative documents.
It was not a valid reason for withholding documents that might reflect internal decisionmaking in your office.
Lawmakers said that your obstruction of the committees investigations is unacceptable and that your justifications for noncompliance seem to reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of Congress's authority and your duties as an inspector general.
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