SELECT COMMITTEE ON
INTELLIGENCE
UNITED STATES SENATE

Additional Prehearing Questions
For
Terrence Edwards
upon his nomination to be
Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office

Page 1 of 12

Duties
1. What is your understanding of the scope of the programs and activities
within the responsibility and authority of the Director of the National
Reconnaissance Office (NRO)?
My understanding is principally based on Executive Order 12333, United States
Intelligence Activities, which states the Director of the NRO shall “be responsible for
research and development, acquisition, launch, deployment, and operation of
overhead systems and related data processing facilities to collect intelligence and
information to support national and departmental missions and other United States
Government needs; and conduct foreign liaison relationships relating to these
missions….” In addition to these core intelligence responsibilities, the Director of
the NRO has the responsibility and authority to lead and manage the NRO, which
includes the responsibility to effectively manage and execute the taxpayer's funds
entrusted to the NRO, and manage and provide for the professional development of
NRO personnel. My current and previous positions at the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence (ODNI) have also provided me with an awareness of the
NRO’s goals pertaining to delivering space-based intelligence; meeting cost,
schedule, and performance commitments of major acquisitions; and delivering a
more integrated and resilient architecture.

2. Please describe your standards for an objective and effective office and
how you intend to establish an office that maintains such standards?
The Council of the Inspector General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) has
established quality standards for the management, operation, and conduct of the
Federal Offices of Inspector General. It is my understanding that the members of the
CIGIE, including the NRO Office of Inspector General (OIG), have formulated and
adopted these standards, which include standards for Investigations, Audits,
Inspections, and Evaluations. To maintain public trust, the OIG must adhere to high
standards of official conduct and be held accountable in the event those standards are
not met. If confirmed, I will ensure all the OIG’s internal controls, including its
manuals, instructions, and policies, adhere to and implement these standards, and that
OIG officials exercise their duties accordingly.

Page 2 of 12

3. What standards and procedures would you apply to ensure the
appropriate timeliness and responsiveness of the NRO Office of Inspector
General’s (OIG’s) completion of inspections, audits, reviews, and
investigations?
Pursuant to Section 4 of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (IG Act), the
OIG is tasked with the duty and responsibility to keep the Director of the NRO and
the Congress fully and currently informed, by means of its Semi-Annual report and
otherwise, concerning fraud, abuses, deficiencies and other serious problems relating
to the programs and operations that the NRO administers and/or finances. If
confirmed, I will review and enhance, as necessary, all NRO OIG internal policies
and practices to ensure they are consistent with the CIGIE standards and that the
office conducts its oversight efforts in a professional, thorough, and timely manner. I
will assess the effectiveness of how the office establishes milestones and implements
tracking mechanisms to monitor progress. In monitoring progress, I will obtain
regular updates from OIG project teams and staff. Overall, I will encourage and
ensure a collaborative, cooperative working environment within the office.

4. What steps would you take to inform individuals, within or outside of the
U.S. Government, including contractors, of their opportunity to provide
complaints or information to the Inspector General (IG)?
If confirmed, I will ensure that any individual wanting to report information in good
faith to the OIG can do so efficiently, confidentially, and without fear of reprisal.
Specific to the NRO, in light of the diverse workforce comprised of civilian, military
and contractor employees, I will review all current means by which NRO personnel
can communicate with the NRO OIG, and engage in meaningful enhancements, as
necessary, to those methods to ensure all personnel have readily available access to
the OIG. I will also ensure the office regularly engages in meaningful outreach,
training, on-site visits and other events that promote awareness of access to the OIG
by all NRO personnel and of the protections afforded to those that communicate with
the office.

Page 3 of 12

Protection of Whistleblowers
5. What formal policies and processes are in place to inform employees of
their right to provide information to the NRO OIG and to detect and
protect against reprisal for making complaints or disclosing information
to the NRO OIG?
If confirmed, I will make it a priority to conduct a baseline review to examine the
formal policies and processes in place to inform employees of their right to provide
information to the NRO OIG and protect against reprisal for making complaints or
disclosing information to the NRO OIG. I will ensure that the protections afforded
under 50 U.S.C. §3234, Prohibited Personnel Practices in the Intelligence
Community and other appropriate authorities are implemented with full force and
effect. Further, I will ensure that NRO personnel are educated on the procedures for
external reviews of reprisal investigations pursuant to 50 U.S.C. §3236, Inspector
General external review panel, and Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-19),
Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information. Similar to my
response to Question 4, I will also ensure the OIG regularly engages in meaningful
outreach, training, on-site visits and other events that promote awareness of access to
the OIG by all NRO personnel and of the protections afforded to those that
communicate with the office.

6. If confirmed, what additional policies and processes will you establish or
recommend to the NRO Director to protect whistleblowers?
As stated in my response to Question 5, if confirmed, I will make it a priority to
conduct a baseline review of the established policies and processes in existence to
protect whistleblowers to identify any perceived gaps or inadequacies. Upon
learning of any potential issues, I will work expeditiously to develop solutions and
implement revisions. In doing so, I will leverage all resources at my disposal, to
include Counsel to the NRO OIG as well as colleagues on the IC IG Forum.

Page 4 of 12

Access to Information
7. Please describe how you would resolve, including what remedies you
would pursue, if an NRO employee or contractor refuses to provide access
to records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations
or other materials requested by the NRO IG? How would you address
being told by NRO personnel that the IG does not have a “need to know”
for certain documentation or records related to an investigation?
Section 6(a) of the IG Act authorizes, except in limited circumstances, each Inspector
General to have timely access to all necessary records, reports, audits, reviews,
documents, papers, recommendations, or other materials available to the
establishment, which relate to the programs and operations with respect to which the
Inspector General has responsibilities under the Act. An OIG’s oversight role
establishes the need to know, and I expect that explaining the OIG’s role and
authorities is often sufficient to address and resolve any misunderstandings or initial
refusals. In the case where a refusal persists, if confirmed, I would make an initial
attempt to resolve the situation at the lowest level, but would escalate the matter as
needed through the employee’s or contractor’s management chain, up to the NRO
General Counsel and the Director, NRO, as necessary. Ultimately, if the OIG
continued to experience resistance, I would notify the congressional oversight
committees as appropriate.

8. What is your view of the appropriate use of subpoena authority?
In my opinion, the subpoena authority granted under Section 6(a)(4) of the IG Act
provides a necessary and valuable tool in the execution of an IG’s duties.
Notwithstanding, subpoena use should be reserved for situations where standard
methods of making requests for relevant documentation are not viable or otherwise
impractical.

Page 5 of 12

Independence
9. If confirmed, please describe what actions you would take if a senior NRO
or Intelligence Community (IC) official sought to prevent you from
initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation within
the jurisdiction of the NRO IG?
Section 8G(d)(2) provides that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the
Director of National Intelligence, may prohibit the NRO OIG from initiating or
completing any audit or investigation if such a prohibition is deemed necessary to
protect vital national security interests of the United States and the proper
notifications are subsequently made to Congress. If confirmed, in any other instance
where another official or other entity sought to prevent me from initiating, carrying
out, or completing any audit or investigation within the jurisdiction of the NRO IG, I
would make an initial attempt to resolve the situation at the lowest level, but would
escalate the matter as needed to the NRO General Counsel and the Director, NRO.
In the case where the agency head did not subsequently execute a prompt and
appropriate resolution, I would report the situation to the appropriate committees of
Congress, as well as to the IGs of the Intelligence Community and the Department of
Defense, as appropriate.

10. Please describe your views on the appropriate relationship between the
NRO OIG and the NRO Office of Congressional Affairs when
communicating with the Congress.
As an office with the responsibility of conducting independent oversight and in
consideration of its direct reporting requirements to the Director, NRO and the
Congress, the OIG must maintain unfettered access to communicate with Congress
as necessary. In certain circumstances, it may be appropriate to coordinate with the
NRO Office of Congressional and Public Affairs when there is no threat to OIG
independence or exigencies requiring timely reporting. In my view, an IG must
make a case-by-case determination based on the facts presented and in consideration
of the congressional reporting requirements set forth in the IG Act.

Page 6 of 12

11. Please also describe your views on the appropriate relationship between
the NRO OIG and the NRO Office of General Counsel when those
communications involve legal issues.
There exist inherently fundamental differences in duties owed by each office that
require an appropriate level of professional separation. This point is emphasized by
Section 3(g) of the IG Act, which, in order to avoid such a conflict of interest,
provides that an IG shall obtain legal advice from a counsel either reporting directly
to the IG or to another IG. While the Office of General Counsel provides legal
advice to NRO leadership, the OIG must maintain overall independence from
influence by the agency, which precludes relying on the agency’s counsel for legal
advice regarding OIG operations. Notwithstanding, it is essential that a solid and
trusting working relationship between these two offices is established and
maintained. Regarding legal matters of mutual interest that do not otherwise
implicate the OIG’s independence, such as the interpretation of agency policies
relevant to an investigation, collaboration is not only proper, but also necessary.
Based on my prior positions in the Offices of General Counsel at the ODNI, National
Security Agency, and Department of the Army, I am well versed in the care, balance,
and respect needed to facilitate the coordination that happens between these offices.
If confirmed, I will ensure the NRO OIG staff apply the same care, balance, and
respect in every interaction they have with the Office of General Counsel.

Inspector General Work Plan
12. If confirmed, how will you determine the investigations and reports that
are necessary or desirable to complete each year? Would you anticipate
developing a work plan for each year in office?
It is my understanding that OIGs engage in a process annually to assess current and
emerging risks to mission and effective NRO operations. To that end, the OIG
engages with appropriate stakeholders, including Congress, to determine their work
plans for the year. If confirmed, I will publish an annual work plan at the beginning
of each fiscal year to provide the oversight committees and NRO decision makers
with information about the OIG’s planned audits and inspections. In selecting the
projects, I will consider items of congressional interest set forth in applicable
appropriation and authorization legislation, as well as information about new and
ongoing risks to the NRO mission. Because investigations are generally reactive
measures, I do not anticipate including specific investigations in the work plan.
However, if confirmed, I will look for opportunities to promote a greater
understanding among the NRO workforce regarding fraud, procurement integrity,
and whistleblower reprisal, and will ensure the timely execution of investigations.

Page 7 of 12

13. Would you consider Committee suggestions or focus areas to inform your
annual work plan?
Yes. In addition to including items of congressional interest set forth in applicable
appropriation and authorization legislation in our annual work plan, if confirmed, I
look forward to meeting with congressional oversight committees and staff as part of
our annual planning process. These meetings will provide valuable insight on
congressional interest items and perspective on NRO mission risks and emerging
issues.

14. Please describe your priorities, if confirmed, for the work of the NRO
OIG in relation to the work of other Inspectors General with
responsibilities concerning intelligence programs and activities.
I value what I have learned are highly cooperative relationships between the
Intelligence Community Inspectors General. This cooperation enhances oversight of
intelligence programs and activities and results in increased accountability, integrity,
and efficiency. If confirmed, I will prioritize effective communication and
coordination throughout the Inspector General community so that the NRO OIG can
fulfill its oversight responsibilities more efficiently and effectively, without
unnecessary duplication of effort and resources.

Referrals to the Department of Justice
15. Please describe your understanding of the authority and responsibility of
the NRO OIG to refer matters to the Department of Justice concerning
possible criminal conduct, including the conduct of current or former
officials?
In accordance with Section 4(d) of the IG Act, the IG shall make an expeditious
reporting to the Department of Justice whenever the IG has reasonable grounds to
believe there has been a violation of Federal criminal law. This responsibility is
consistent with 28 U.S.C. § 535(b), and Executive Order 12333, which generally
provides that each agency and organization within the Intelligence Community must
report information concerning possible federal crimes by its personnel, or violations
of specified federal criminal laws by any other person, when such information was
collected by the agency during the performance of its designated intelligence
activities. Further, in cases where the information received by the OIG is otherwise
incomplete, which may preclude a formal reporting; a consultation with Department
of Justice in advance of a formal referral may be the most productive course of
action.

Page 8 of 12

16. In your view, what should be the role, if any, of any other NRO office or
official, including the Office of General Counsel, in making referrals to the
Department of Justice?
In accordance with the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding: Reporting of
Information concerning Federal Crimes, the NRO Office of General Counsel is
required to report to the Department of Justice or to state or local law enforcement
authorities possible violations of federal and state criminal laws by NRO personnel
when the information was collected during the performance of the NRO’s designated
intelligence activities as defined in Executive Order 12333, subject to certain
exceptions, including, but not limited to, allegations that have been reported to the
OIG. If confirmed, I will work with the Office of General Counsel to ensure that, as
appropriate, when such matters involve NRO funds, programs, and operations, the
OIG is involved in the coordination of the referral to allow for independent
consideration of the information.

Major Challenges, Problems, and Priorities
17. In your view, what are the major challenges facing the NRO OIG?
Looking more broadly, and with your acquisition experience, do you see
challenges for the NRO at a time when there is an explosion in commercial
space capabilities?
I am not aware of any specific major challenges that the NRO OIG is currently
facing. If confirmed, I will engage with NRO OIG personnel, as well as internal and
external stakeholders, to obtain an understanding of major challenges, if any, and, as
appropriate, take the necessary action to resolve them. To that end, I plan to place
special emphasis on learning about any challenges as related to whistleblower
reprisal. I strongly believe the OIG cannot fully succeed in its mission to prevent
fraud, waste, and abuse if personnel do not feel they can safely report information of
potential wrongdoing.
At this time, I cannot speak to the NRO’s specific challenges, if any, regarding the
recent explosion of space capabilities in the commercial market. However, with the
expansion of any technology, organizations, whether a consumer or producer of that
technology, must determine the worth and possible consequences of that expansion.
Being a producer of space-based capabilities, I expect the NRO has completed its
cost/benefit assessment as demonstrated by its recent award announcement (Release
#05-22) for the procurement of commercial imagery. Based on my broad experience
in government acquisitions and appropriations, I offer that one challenge that the
NRO might be facing in this area is whether its acquisition, fiscal, and security
policies and procedures provide sufficient controls to manage these often new and

Page 9 of 12

expanding commercial relationships. I expect it is particularly difficult where the
awards are for large-scale, unclassified contracts in which the arrangement involves
open and non-traditional companies with uncleared personnel and no access to secure
information systems. Additionally, I offer that another challenge is having the right
personnel with the right skill sets, which is key to managing the risk associated with
developing new relationships and adopting new capabilities. If confirmed, I will
determine whether the NRO has assessed and continues to assess whether it has the
right talent to maneuver effectively in this new area.
A final challenge that I anticipate the NRO might be dealing with in this area is
balancing the interest of using existing governmental capabilities with the interest of
incorporating new commercial capabilities in a constructive and effective way that
complies with existing laws, regulations, and policy.

18. Is there a role for the OIG in making determinations or recommendations
related to the NRO’s current mission focus?
In carrying out the OIG’s duties and responsibilities established under the IG Act,
OIGs make recommendations for corrective actions. In addition, the IG Act states
that the OIG may conduct or coordinate activities that NRO executes or finances for
the purpose of promoting economy and efficiency in NRO programs and operations.
If confirmed, I will ensure the NRO OIG’s annual work plan covers areas of highrisk, and that audits, inspections, and evaluations are mission-focused. I believe that
OIG findings and recommendations need to be provided promptly to NRO leaders to
be relevant and useful as they manage NRO’s mission and to the Congress to assist
in its oversight function. Findings must be developed consistent with quality
standards, based upon supportable facts, and presented in a clear, understandable
manner. Recommendations must be actionable, and should drive process
improvements and strengthen internal controls to mitigate the risk of fraud, waste,
and abuse, as well as help the NRO to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its
business processes and activities. If confirmed, it will be my goal to provide
impactful recommendations that NRO leadership and managers can use to make
informed decisions about current mission activities.

19. Is there a role for the OIG in resolving disagreements between the NRO
and other IC elements or making recommendations to improve
efficiencies?
According to the IG Act, as an independent office with broad subject matter
jurisdiction, the OIG is in a unique position to provide policy direction for and to
conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits, investigations, inspections, and
evaluations relating to the programs and operations of the NRO. The OIG’s efforts
are not necessarily limited to the work conducted solely by the NRO; rather, such

Page 10 of 12

efforts can include collaborative activities among multiple IC element OIGs. As a
result, under appropriate circumstances, and when there is no threat to independence,
the OIG can provide valuable input towards resolving disagreements between the
NRO and other IC elements, or otherwise in making recommendations to improve
efficiencies. For example, in my current position at the ODNI, I am aware of a joint
review by the NRO OIG and another IC element OIG to identify the root cause of
program and operational disagreements between two IC elements. If confirmed, I
will continue to endorse and support opportunities for the IC OIGs to coordinate and
collaborate on matters of mutual interest.

Personnel and Budgetary Resources of the NRO OIG
20. Please describe the present organization, staffing (both with respect to
authorized positions and positions currently filled), training, and
resources of the NRO OIG.
Based on my review of the NRO OIG website, the office is comprised of five
divisions—Audits, Inspections, Investigations, Analytics, and OIG Corporate
Support. If confirmed and upon assuming the role of IG, I will obtain an
understanding of the office’s authorized strength and current staffing level. I will
ensure practices are in place to address any vacancies so that the OIG can carry out
its mission with a full complement of qualified officers. The credibility of an OIG
relies, in part, on the quality and experience of its officers; training is a critical part of
staff development. I will inquire about staff training and the sufficiency of resources
for training, making this a priority. I will also assess the sufficiency of resources in
terms of budget and personnel by conducting an in-depth examination of resources
and seeking the views of the congressional oversight committees. If confirmed, and
as necessary, I will request changes to ensure the NRO OIG has the resources to
fulfill its statutory responsibilities.

21. If confirmed, will you lead a top down review of the OIG staff size and
skillsets to ensure the IG is sized to address the priority work? How will
you triage your staff to provide planned IG studies and ensure that there
is sufficient personnel to address emerging issues as they arise?
If confirmed, I will assess the OIG staff size and skills to ensure that OIG is well
positioned to undertake and complete priority work. All OIG work is important, but
as in any office, unplanned adjustments to workloads are often necessary to meet
priorities. If confirmed, I will ensure that OIG officers have the requisite knowledge,
skills, and abilities, as well as cross-function training, as appropriate, to achieve
maximum flexibility to shift personnel to meet ever-changing mission requirements.
This strategy includes adjusting established milestones on ongoing projects, re-

Page 11 of 12

scoping work, and re-aligning resources to accomplish emerging, higher priority
issues.

22. If you are confirmed, what changes, if any, would you expect to consider
or make in the present OIG with regard to organization, staff
qualifications, training, budget, or other features relevant to the effective
performance of the duties of the new statutory office?
At this time, I do not have sufficient information to say with any certainty what
changes, if any, that I would expect to consider or make, if confirmed, regarding the
organization, staff qualifications, training, budget, or other features relevant to the
effective performance of the duties of the office. However, if confirmed, I will
review the NRO OIG’s current organizational structure, staff qualifications, training,
and budget to allow for an informed determination on what changes, if any, are
needed to achieve the most effective performance. When assessing the organization,
I will consider whether investments in infrastructure and information technology are
needed. If so, I will develop and implement a plan that will ensure resources are
spent wisely. I will also meet with all OIG personnel to obtain their perspectives on
areas that are working well and areas for potential improvement. I will then
implement revisions and improvements, as necessary, with a focus on ensuring
quality and timeliness of the work. If confirmed, attracting, training, and developing
the best possible talent will be one of my priorities so that the NRO OIG maintains
its capacity to meet its statutory responsibilities.

23. In your view, are there any barriers or disincentives, including any
created by personnel policies, that impede the recruitment or retention of
qualified IG personnel? If so, please describe.
At this time, I do not have sufficient information to assess whether there are currently
barriers or disincentives, including any created by personnel policies, which impede
the recruitment or retention of qualified personnel specific to the NRO OIG. Having
served much of my career in the IC, I am certainly aware of recruitment and retention
challenges faced by the community as a whole, to include clearance processing,
competitive compensation, cost of living, and the ever-growing obstacle of limited
opportunities for telework. If confirmed, I will explore any such challenges by
consulting with the NRO OIG’s career service board for Central Intelligence Agency
and NRO Cadre personnel, the Forum of IC OIGs, and the CIGIE to obtain their
collective views, and I will seek resolution to any barriers or disincentives impacting
recruitment and retention of NRO OIG personnel.

Page 12 of 12