Independent and effective oversight demands more than just diligence—it requires protection from interference.
On April 4, 2025, the Association of Inspectors General (AIG) adopted two pivotal position papers that reinforce foundational principles for Inspector General (IG) operations:
- Ensuring Independence and Integrity through Unobstructed Conduct of Investigative Interviews
- Ensuring Independence and Effectiveness through Unobstructed Access to Overseen Entities’ Privileged Information
Together, these papers send a clear message: Inspectors General must be empowered to perform their critical role free from external impairments that undermine accountability and transparency.
Unobstructed Investigative Interviews: Safeguarding Witness Cooperation
The first position paper emphasizes that IGs must be able to conduct interviews without attorneys from the overseen entity present. Entity attorneys can create an environment that chills witness honesty, introduces undue influence, and diminishes public trust in the independence of oversight activities.
By excluding attorneys who represent the overseen body during interviews, IGs:
- Preserve the integrity of investigations.
- Protect witnesses from intimidation or retaliation concerns.
- Maintain public confidence that investigations are impartial and politically unbiased.
AIG firmly concludes that investigative independence is compromised when agency attorneys attend interviews, and that speculative litigation risks do not justify this interference.
Access to Privileged Information: Removing Barriers to Truth
The second paper addresses the equally vital need for IGs to access materials, including those potentially protected by attorney-client privilege. The ability to review privileged communications is essential for IGs to:
- Fully investigate allegations of misconduct.
- Monitor public spending and ensure accountability for taxpayer funds.
- Prevent political actors from hiding wrongdoing behind claims of privilege.
Importantly, AIG points out that federal law—through the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016—already recognizes IGs’ rights to full access, even to privileged materials. Denying such access at the state or local level represents a significant external impairment and undermines government transparency.
Why This Matters
Oversight is only as strong as the independence of those conducting it.
When IGs are obstructed—whether by the presence of agency attorneys or denial of critical information—accountability weakens, and the public trust erodes.
AIG’s reaffirmation of these core principles highlights the need for continuous vigilance to safeguard investigative integrity at all levels of government.
How CMTS Supports These Oversight Best Practices
At CMTS, we are proud to support investigative agencies with technology that upholds these standards:
- Secure, role-based access controls to protect sensitive investigative data.
- Audit-ready workflows that track interviews, communications, and evidence handling.
- FedRAMP® Moderate authorized cloud hosting to ensure compliance with stringent security frameworks.
Our configurable case management solution empowers oversight professionals to operate independently, efficiently, and transparently, reinforcing the mission set forth by the AIG.
Explore how CMTS supports independent investigations.
Schedule a live demo tailored to your agency’s needs today.