HUD inspector general to retire in June

Susan Gaffney, inspector general at the Housing and Urban Development Department, will retire in June, after serving as the agency's watchdog for more than seven years. According to an agency spokesman, Gaffney is leaving now because she feels the department is in "good hands" under the leadership of Secretary Mel Martinez. Gaffney told Martinez on May 1 that she planned to retire, and sent an e-mail message the next day to the 700 employees in the HUD IG's office. "My trust in the Secretary to support, not harm, the OIG, has enabled this decision. We've overcome a lot of hurdles in the past years, and I believe that the OIG is better positioned than ever to make major contributions to HUD and our country," said Gaffney in her message to employees. The HUD spokesman said Gaffney has not said what she plans to do when she leaves the department. Gaffney praised OIG employees for their commitment to HUD's mission. "It has been an honor and a pleasure for me to be associated with you, and I will miss you more than I can say," she said. President Clinton appointed Gaffney as HUD's inspector general in 1993. During the last few years of the Clinton administration, her tenure was marked by an acrimonious relationship with former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. Gaffney had been highly critical of Cuomo's sweeping management reforms and other initiatives, including the controversial Community Builders program. During Cuomo's tenure, HUD officials said Gaffney was politically biased against the agency. The dispute between Gaffney and Cuomo culminated in Gaffney filing a sexual discrimination complaint against the former housing Secretary last October. Gaffney accused Cuomo of harassing her and discriminating against her on the basis of gender.