Maher Entitled to His Views, But They Should Be Informed 

On a recent episode of Real Time, Bill Maher posed the question, "How good are you watchdogging?" when discussing the effectiveness of inspectors general. His skepticism warrants a response — one grounded in facts.

For those unfamiliar, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DOD-IG) oversees investigations into fraud, waste, and abuse within the Department of Defense. A key component of its efforts is the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), which conducts criminal investigations leading to substantial financial recoveries for the U.S. government.

To illustrate the scope and success of these investigations, here are just a few adjudicated cases from a recent two-week period, as reported by the Department of Justice:

• Feb. 3, 2025 – Tampa Man Agrees to Pay U.S. Government $2 Million for His Role in Medical Kickback Scheme – Over $60 million recovered
• Jan. 31, 2025 – Arizona Couple Pleads Guilty to $1.2 Billion Health Care Fraud – Restitution of over $1.2 billion; nearly $100 million in seized assets
• Jan. 24, 2025 – Pfizer Agrees to Pay Nearly $60M to Resolve False Claims Allegations
• Jan. 23, 2025 – Defense Contractor Executive Pleads Guilty to Bribery Scheme Involving $100 Million in Government Contracts
• Jan. 23, 2025 – Pain-Management Doctor and Medical Practice to Pay $3.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Violations
• Jan. 21, 2025 – Military Contractor to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

In just these two weeks, the DOD-IG reported criminal investigations resulting in over $1.3 billion in recoveries, with fraudulent contractors and individuals held accountable. These funds are deposited directly into the U.S. Treasury — tangible proof that inspectors general not only watchdog but also act.

Fraud investigations, particularly those involving government contracts, healthcare fraud, and defense procurement, are rarely resolved in a matter of days. They often take years, requiring coordination between special agents, prosecutors, and forensic analysts across multiple agencies, including the Department of Justice, Veterans Affairs OIG, and Health and Human Services OIG.

The notion that watchdogs should be judged based on short-term database abnormalities, rather than the broader arc of their investigative work, is misleading.

Unfortunately, the media often overlooks these investigative successes in favor of more sensational stories. However, these cases — along with many others spanning the last 25 years—are publicly available on inspector general websites for anyone willing to look.

It’s also worth noting that the DOD-IG is just one of 73 statutory inspector general offices across the U.S. government. Many of these offices produce similar fraud recoveries and enforcement actions in areas beyond defense, from healthcare to financial oversight.

Anyone truly interested in government accountability should explore these resources before making broad claims about their effectiveness.

Bill Maher, like anyone else, is entitled to question government oversight. However, such critiques should be grounded in facts.

Inspectors general across multiple agencies have a long, documented track record of uncovering and prosecuting fraud, ensuring taxpayer money is protected. The question isn’t if they’re watchdogging — it’s whether the public and media are paying attention to their results.