Dear Mr. President:
We are writing requesting the immediate removal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA/Agency) Inspector General, Robert Cobb. Since his appointment in
2002, Mr. Cobb has been repeatedly accused of stifling investigations, retaliating against whistleblowers and prioritizing social relationships with top NASA officials over proper federal oversight.
A 2006 independent investigation found that Mr. Cobb not only created a hostile work environment and mistreated subordinates, but also compromised numerous investigations due to ties to agency leadership. Mr. Cobb’s negligence further surfaced in a 2007 House Committee on Science and Technology investigation, which revealed efforts to shut down or ignore investigations on a malfunctioning self-destruct procedure during a space shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center and the theft of an estimated $1.9 billion worth of data on rocket engines from NASA computers.
In his tenure, the number of investigations into waste, fraud and abuse decreased from 508 in
2002 to just 68 in 2007 according to a USA Today investigation. In a January 2009 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) calculated that the savings identified by his office was only $0.36 for every dollar of his $34 million budget. That return is 26 times less that of other Presidential-appointed IGs, which had a return of $9.49 per budget dollar spent. Moreover,
dozens of qualified auditors have left the Agency. According to GAO, the staff attrition rate rose from 12 to 20%. Recognizing these serious problems, House and Senate leadership have actively called for his removal.
Amazingly, Mr. Cobb is still there, yet the need for strong IG leadership is more pressing than ever. As you are well aware, NASA’s 2009 appropriation is over $17 billion, and the Agency received an additional $1 billion in research funding in the economic recovery bill. NASA implements multibillion dollar, often decades-long projects and relies a great deal on contractors. Meanwhile, the Agency’s contract management has been designated a high-risk area by GAO. The time is now for oversight that works.
We respectfully ask that you take immediate action to put an end to conflict of interest and cronyism in the IG process by replacing Mr. Cobb and nominating a qualified candidate. If we are to strengthen our oversight system, we must set the tone at the top and hold inspectors general accountable for improper conduct and just plain not doing their jobs.
Sincerely,
CLAIRE MCCASKILL United States Senate
JAY ROCKEFELLER United States Senate
CHARLES GRASSLEY United States Senate
