Employees accused of misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security could face more stringent penalties under an overhaul that follows complaints about the handling of internal discipline in the third-largest U.S. government agency.
DHS said on Thursday it will centralize serious misconduct investigations instead of allowing them to be handled by components of a sprawling organization that includes Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service and FEMA. Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered a review in April after reports revealed that thousands of employees had experienced sexual harassment and misconduct and that some DHS components paid settlements without penalizing or even investigating the perpetrators.
“The deeply concerning reports this spring underscored the need for urgent action to prevent and address harassment and other misconduct in the workplace,” Mayorkas said in a statement.
