WASHINGTON - May 4 - At least 15 of the 73 watchdog jobs across the federal government are vacant or filled by temporary officials, and more openings could be added under the Senate's financial regulatory reform legislation, according to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity.

The Center's story, "Where are the Watchdogs?" found openings include inspectors general positions at the State Department, Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Labor Department, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Also unfilled are the top jobs at the Office of Special Counsel, which protects federal whistleblowers, and at the Government Accountability Office, Congress' main investigative arm.

Over the years, government watchdogs have produced some memorable investigations, uncovering $434 hammers and $600 toilet seats at the Pentagon, revealing that federal housing vouchers were still being paid to dead Americans, and disclosing the FBI’s illegal gathering of phone records. On a daily basis, their offices investigate more mundane contracting fraud and employee misconduct and conduct annual audits of agencies’ accounting books. The inspectors general jobs have come to symbolize the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency.

“Inspectors general play an important role in protecting taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse. I am troubled by even a single prolonged vacancy,” said Rep. Ed Towns, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that is one of Congress' main oversight bodies. “I encourage the Obama administration to act expeditiously in filling these vacancies, and to nominate a new Special Counsel without delay.”

Many of the watchdog job vacancies have languished for a year or more, despite calls by President Barack Obama and other politicians for more accountability in government. The Senate's legislation to overhaul financial regulation would convert five independently hired inspector generals at financial oversight agencies to political appointees, requiring them to be confirmed by a Senate that has been slow to act on countless nominations. The current holders of those jobs are fighting the change, suggesting it would jeopardize the political independence they have enjoyed in aggressively pursuing wrongdoing inside their agencies.

During his first year in office, the president succeeded in getting inspectors generals confirmed at NASA, the Education Department, the Small Business Administration, and the Pentagon. However, his nominee for inspector general at the EPA has been pending six months and has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

The watchdogs' own conduct has also come under scrutiny in recent years. For example, then-State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard resigned in December 2007 after a congressional committee questioned his independence and his oversight of spending in Iraq. A successor has yet to be nominated. And former U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch, whose office investigates whistleblower’s allegations and protects them from reprisal, was removed in October 2008 amidst investigations into his own conduct. He pleaded guilty in April in federal court to one count of criminal contempt for withholding information from Congress. That job also remains vacant.

Here's a summary of the 15 watchdog openings, and positions newly filled:

PRESIDENTIALLY APPOINTED AND VACANT
1.) State Department - Vacant since early 2008. No nominee.
2.) CIA - Vacant since March 2009. No nominee.
3.) Labor Department - Vacant since mid-2008. No nominee.
4.) Export-Import Bank - Vacant since October 2009. No nominee.
5.) Office of Special Counsel - Vacant since October 2008. No nominee.
6.) Comptroller General of the United States - Vacant since March 2008. No nominee. White House awaiting candidates from  congressional leadership.
7.) Interior Department - Has had acting inspector general since February 2009. No nominee.
 
PRESIDENTIALLY APPOINTED, AWAITING CONFIRMATION
8.) EPA - Arthur Elkins nominated Nov. 18, 2009, pending before full Senate.
9.) Corporation for National and Community Service - Jon Hatfield nominated Feb. 22, 2010, may be reported out of Senate labor committee this week.
10.) Federal Housing Finance Agency - Steve Linick nominated April 12, 2010, pending before Senate Banking Committee.
 
INDEPENDENTLY HIRED AND VACANT
11.) National Endowment for the Arts
12.) Federal Communications Commission
13.) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
14.) Federal Labor Relations Authority
15.) House of Representatives Inspector General
 
RECENTLY FILLED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Pentagon - Gordon Heddell confirmed on July 10, 2009
Small Business Administration - Peggy Gustafson confirmed Sept. 24, 2009
NASA - Paul Martin confirmed on Nov. 20, 2009
Education Department - Kathleen Tighe confirmed on March 10, 2010