Trump-appointed DHS inspector general made false claims under oath during Senate confirmation hearing: Washington Post

Joseph Cuffari, the Trump-appointed Department of Homeland Security Inspector General who is at the center of the scandal over missing Secret Service text messages, falsely said during his Senate confirmation hearing that he had received the recommendation of a panel of government watchdogs.

The Washington Post reports that Cuffari told senators in 2019 that he'd gotten the stamp of approval from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency -- but it turns out that the panel made no such recommendation.

"A five-member candidate panel had interviewed Cuffari for the Defense Department inspector general position, the government’s largest watchdog agency, his emails show," the Post reports. "But panel members advised Trump against nominating him for the Defense job, instead recommending that the White House consider him for a smaller agency — and did not suggest the DHS role."

It is not clear, however, whether Cuffari knew he did not have the board's recommendation when he testified under oath that he did during his Senate confirmation hearing, although Council Executive Director Alan Boehm tells the Post that Cuffari would not have known about any such recommendation, as they are not shared directly with the candidates.

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Cuffari did not respond to the Post's request for an interview.

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