HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.crs/ofceotehs0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
Congressional Re ear h Service
Informir g he k~gis!ati ~ debaW~ i ce 1914
Updated May 6, 2025
Office of the House of Representatives Inspector General
The Office of the House of Representatives Inspector
General (IG) conducts audits of the financial and
administrative functions of House officers and joint entities.
The first House IG was appointed in the first session of the
103rd Congress (1993-1994).
Background and History
Following the House banking scandal of 1991, the House of
Representatives instituted numerous administrative reforms,
including shutting down the House bank and hiring a
nonpartisan administrator. As part of the reform efforts, the
House created an Inspector General (IG) to provide periodic
reports to the House leadership on audits of House officers.
Initially proposed in the 100th Congress (1987-1988), the
Office of the Inspector General was first created in the
102d Congress (1991-1992) with the adoption of H.Res.
423, the House Administration Reform Resolution of 1992.
The House has amended H.Res. 423 with the adoption of
rules packages.
The resolution also establishes an Office of the
Inspector General, who would be appointed jointly by
the Speaker, the majority leader and the minority
leader, and who would be charged with conducting
audits of the financial operations of the house, and
reporting irregularities or abuses resulting from audits.
-Representative Timothy Roemer, Congressional
Record,
April 9, I 992 [p. 9063]
The Inspector General leads the office and is jointly
appointed by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the
Minority Leader.
Past House Inspectors General
The first House IG-John W. Lainhart IV-was selected in
the first session of the 103rd Congress (1993-1994). In
2022, Joseph C. Picolla was appointed as the sixth House
IG. Currently, the House has an acting IG. In total, there
have been six IGs appointed by congressional leadership.
Table 1 provides the name and term of service for House
IGs.
Table I. House of Representatives Inspectors General
Name Term of Service
John W. Lainhart IV
Steven A. McNamara
1993 to 1999
2000 to 2005
Name Term of Service
James J. Cornell 2006 to 2010
Theresa M. Grafenstine 2010 to 2017
Michael T. Ptasienski 2018 to 2021
Joseph C. Picolla 2022 to 2025
Source: U.S. Congress, House, Office of the Inspector General,
Background and History, https://oig.house.gov/about.
Notes: The Office of the House IG is managed by an acting IG until a
new IG is appointed by the House leadership. For example, the
former IG, Michael Ptasienski, served as acting IG from October 2017
until his appointment in February 2018 (Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Speaker Ryan Announces Appointment of Mike
Ptasienski as House Inspector General, press release, February 15,
2018). Table I does not list acting IGs.
Current Status and Duties
Since its initial authorization, the House IG has been
reauthorized by the House for each succeeding Congress.
The House IG's authority is found in House Rule II, clause
6. The House IG is also subject to the policy direction and
oversight of the Committee on House Administration.
Pursuant to House Rule II, clause 6, the House IG has five
main duties:
(1) provide audit, investigative, and advisory services to
the House and joint entities in a manner consistent with
government-wide standards;
(2) inform the officers or other officials who are the
subject of an audit of the results of that audit and
suggesting appropriate curative actions;
(3) simultaneously notify the Speaker, the Majority
Leader, the Minority Leader, and the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on House
Administration in the case of any financial irregularity
discovered in the course of carrying out responsibilities
under this clause;
(4) simultaneously submit to the Speaker, the Majority
Leader, the Minority Leader, and the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations
and the Committee on House Administration a report of
each audit conducted under this clause; and
(5) report to the Committee on Ethics information
involving possible violations by a Member, Delegate,
Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the
House of any rule of the House or of any law applicable
to the performance of official duties or the discharge of
official responsibilities that may require referral to the
appropriate Federal or State authorities under clause
3(a)(3) of rule XI.
ittps://crsreport](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/ofceotehs0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)