Federal mine safety employees honored by the OSC for exposing overlooked inspection omissions
Paul Ingrassia, a former podcast host who graduated from law school in 2022, finds himself at the centre of a storm of controversies following his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
Ingrassia's confirmation hearing has been postponed, amidst growing concerns about his suitability for the role. Good government groups consider him a "demonstrably unserious nominee."
In a separate development, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has come under scrutiny for its handling of mine inspections in the Pacific territories.
Patrick Barney, an MSHA assistant district manager, and supervisory special investigator Troy Van Wey disclosed that 51 active mines in Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands were incorrectly classified as "new mines" by MSHA. This designation does not require inspections.
The watchdog issued 11 recommendations, including that the agency should revise and implement a plan for inspecting mines in the three territories and that the agency should correct the mine statuses.
The OSC expressed disappointment from one of the whistleblowers regarding MSHA's response to investigative findings. The other whistleblower did not comment on the findings.
In November 2024, the Labor Department's inspector general issued an alert memorandum stating that MSHA was not conducting mandatory inspections in the Pacific territories, improperly classified the mines' statuses, and inaccurately reported a 100% completion rate of required mine inspections.
Underground mines must be inspected by federal investigators at least four times a year and surface mines twice annually. However, MSHA has not inspected mines in the Pacific territories since 2016. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) paused routine inspections in the Pacific territories due to COVID-19 concerns and planned to resume them gradually starting in mid-2021, but the current status and exact resumption timeline should be verified with the latest MSHA updates.
In a twist of events, Ingrassia has publicly defended Andrew Tate, an influencer accused of rape and human trafficking in Europe. His controversial statements, such as describing federal employees as "parasites" who "leech of the diminishing lifeblood of the dying republic," have also raised eyebrows.
If a special counsel wanted, they could potentially block efforts by the OSC to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and potentially share information about whistleblowers with those involved in alleged wrongdoing. This could turn the OSC from a shield for whistleblowers into a sword used to target individuals.
As the controversies surrounding Ingrassia and MSHA's Pacific territories inspection lapse continue to unfold, the future of both remains uncertain.
