Larry D. Turner
Inspector General, Department of Labor
Larry D. Turner holds an undergraduate degree in business from Morgan State University, an M.B.A. in business management from Golden Gate University, and an M.S. in resource management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is also a graduate of several military-provided programs.
He served as Army Installation Management Command Liaison Officer to the Army Material Command, and Executive Officer to the Executive Director, Installation Management Command (IMCOM). He served 24 years in the Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Turner was Deputy and Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Office of Communication and Congressional Liaison, Department of Defense, and later Deputy Inspector General for the Army IMCOM.
He was sworn in as the Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor and as a member of the Senior Executive Service in 2014. Since June 2020, he served as Acting Inspector General. On December 3, 2021, he was confirmed to the position by the Senate.
In the News…
According to the U.S. Labor Department Inspector General’s semiannual report to Congress, Unemployment fraud skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately $872 billion in federal funding was allocated to unemployment benefits in the last year, and at least 10% was estimated to be paid “improperly, with a significant portion attributable to fraud.” That means that at least $87 billion was lost to fraud, the report said. By contrast, $27.3 billion in total unemployment insurance benefits were paid in 2019.
The inspector general labeled the major increase in fraud as “significant.” The report warned that the department “has not done enough to formally assess the various strategies available to combat improper payments.”
The issue is not new. In June 2020, the Office of the Inspector General issued a report to Congress identifying that at least $26 billion of CARES Act funds at the time could be wasted, largely to fraud. More than a year later, and that number has more than tripled.
The watchdog recommends Congress enact legislation to ensure unemployment insurance integrity going forward.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Inspector General Turner today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Larry D. Turner
Acting Inspector General
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20210
