The Justice Department Office of Inspector General investigated the controls used when the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) paid informants. Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s office reported drug traffickers who cooperated with federal investigators “were under criminal investigation by other authorities.” Another problem uncovered was the ability of some of the informants or dependents to receive workers’ compensation benefits with only “questionable qualifications.”
The investigation found that there was no formal review of informants and many continued in criminal activity. “A committee charged with reviewing informants weighed each source for an average of a minute each from 2003 to 2012.” As more questions are raised, the DEA has temporarily stopped workers’ compensation for confidential sources and is reviewing current policies.
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