Legal Research

IG Report: U.S. Department of Justice Exaggerated Aid To Human Trafficking Victims

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime and Justice News, August 4, 2008.

"U.S. Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine uncovered discrepancies in a program dedicated to cracking down on human trafficking, McClatchy Newspapers report. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales spent millions of dollars on combating the international trafficking of indentured servants and sex slaves, including by creating task forces across the U.S. that identified and helped victims. Over four years, the department paid $50 million to the task forces and other groups. Conservative groups, who pressured the administration to go after sex trafficking more aggressively, applauded his efforts. "

"Critics have questioned whether the problem was being hyped. Fine found in an audit issued Friday that the task forces and other groups set up to help were 'significantly' overstating the number of victims they served. By examining a sampling of cases, Fine found the task forces had exaggerated by as much as 165 percent. Making matters worse, the inflated numbers were included in annual reports to Congress."

To see IG Report click on link below: 

U.S. Justice Department Office Of Inspector General

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on August 04, 2008 (boomark / email).