Michael Horowitz on Conducting High Profile Internal Investigations Part 1 [Podcast]

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By Adam Turteltaub
adam.turteltaub@corporatecompliance.org

Conducting an internal investigation is never an easy task.  Doing so with the President, Attorney General, Congress, the press and public all watching is even more difficult.

Michael Horowitz lives that reality each day.  He has served as the Inspector General at the US Department of Justice since April 2012.  He also serves as Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, an organization comprised of all 73 federal Inspectors General.

The Inspectors General community is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary and it posts the results of its investigations online.

During his time as the IG at the Department of Justice, Michael has led a myriad of investigations and at two which have grabbed headlines:  Fast and Furious as well as the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation.

While the focus of those investigations is far removed from what most compliance professionals face, the process of the investigations would likely look familiar to any compliance officer.  That’s something Michael knows first hand, having conducted several investigations as outside counsel for multinational companies.

In a two-part podcast, we gain Michael’s deep and extraordinary insights into how to conduct an investigation fairly and thoroughly, whether you are in the media spotlight, or toiling away quietly in an organization.

In part one he discusses:

  • The history of the IG’s office: its history, role, and responsibilities
  • How to set objectives for the investigation
  • How to begin the investigation
  • The challenges of staying on task and avoiding mission creep
  • Collecting documentary evidence
  • Conducting interviews

Listen in to gain some of his wisdom.  One warning, though, before you do.  If you are listening to this podcast hoping for fresh insights into the Clinton email investigation or any other of the IG’s  investigations, you will be disappointed.  Our goal is to take a look at the investigations he has led from the perspective of a compliance officer and to benefit from his deep experience in conducting large scale, high profile investigations.

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