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New Inspector General named for Capitol Police

Michael A. Bolton has been serving as acting IG since last March

The Capitol Police Board announced Wednesday the selection of Michael A. Bolton to be the department’s inspector general. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The Capitol Police Board announced Wednesday the selection of Michael A. Bolton to be the department’s inspector general. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Capitol Police Board announced Wednesday the selection of Michael A. Bolton to be the department’s inspector general. Bolton has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since March of last year and previously served as assistant IG for investigations.

“Mr. Bolton’s more than 30 years of law enforcement and auditing experience, and 16 years in the OIG community have been an asset to the USCP Office of Inspector General and the Department. I look forward to our continued partnership in ensuring that the USCP continues to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of its programs and operations,” Capitol Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa said in a statement.

The head of the police union weighed in as well.

“I’ve worked with Mr. Bolton in the past, we have a good working relationship, and looking forward to improving the Agency,” Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the Capitol Police Labor Committee, told Roll Call.

Congress created the inspector general position in 2006, after appropriators took issue with the slow pace at which the Capitol Police force’s management was addressing administrative issues, such as payroll and compensation glitches, as well as a general lack of oversight over various projects and procurements.

The inspector general’s tasks include identifying waste, fraud and abuse within the agency, and the role comes with subpoena power to obtain records, reports, files and other materials to complete audits and investigations within the Capitol Police.

Before joining the Capitol Police, Bolton served as the special agent-in-charge, Office of Investigations for the Department of the Treasury, where he focused on procurement fraud and investigations of senior government officials. Before that, he served 21 years in the Secret Service. He was a uniformed officer at the White House and foreign mission branches for nine years.

The Capitol Police Office of Inspector General does not participate in transparency efforts that other federal agencies’ IGs contribute to, such as the oversight.gov website, which boasts to have “All Federal Inspector General Reports in One Place.” But there are no reports from the Capitol Police’s OIG on the site. 

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