WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) in demanding an immediate independent investigation into potential improper political interference in the management of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The senators’ letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) comes as a response to reports that the SNS website was altered to reflect controversial remarks made by Jared Kushner that the stockpile does not support state and local supplies during public health emergencies.
In part, the Senators wrote: “This inaccurate deletion distorts the public’s understanding of the purpose of the Strategic National Stockpile and violates principles of good and honest government, including transparency, faithful execution of the agency’s mission and most importantly, advancing the public interest.”
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A full copy of the letter is available below and online here.
April 3, 2020
Ms. Christi Grimm
Principal Deputy Inspector General
Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Principal Deputy Inspector General Grimm:
We write to request that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) immediately initiate an independent investigation into potential improper interference in the management of the Strategic National Stockpile to advance a political agenda.
Early this morning on April 3, 2020, an unidentified entity, at the direction of an unidentified source, swiftly deleted descriptions of the purpose of the Strategic National Stockpile to delete references to the fact that one of the goals of maintaining a Federal Strategic National Stockpile is, “…to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies.”
This inaccurate deletion distorts the public’s understanding of the purpose of the Strategic National Stockpile and violates principles of good and honest government, including transparency, faithful execution of the agency’s mission and most importantly, advancing the public interest. The timing of the deletion appears related to Jared Kushner’s inaccurate statement yesterday that, “And the notion of the Federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile; it’s not supposed to be State stockpiles that they then use.”
Accordingly, we request that HHS OIG launch an investigation – either as a separate inquiry or as an additional component of a comprehensive investigation into broad mismanagement of the Strategic National Stockpile – to determine whether political appointees in the Trump administration directed the improper use of public resources on behalf Jared Kushner or other political appointees to alter information on an official Federal agency government website.
We thank you in advance for your consideration of our request.
