FEC Inspector General Lynne McFarland retires

WASHINGTON – Lynne A. McFarland, who has served for 27 years as the Federal Election Commission's first and only permanent Inspector General, is retiring after a 40-year career at the agency.

Ms. McFarland joined the Commission as a coder in 1976. She later worked as a disclosure analyst and then joined the Commission’s Planning and Management Division, an office that predated the current Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

In 1990, the Commission appointed Ms. McFarland to serve as Inspector General. As with all Inspectors General, she has been obligated to report both to the U.S. Congress and the Commissioners.

“Lynne has served this agency and the mission of Inspectors General with a great deal of dedication and integrity,” said Chairman Steven T. Walther. “The Commissioners and staff owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Ms. McFarland has been actively involved in the Inspector General community, serving on the committee that provided the groundwork for the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) operations once the Inspector General Reform Act was passed by Congress and signed by the President. She is a former Vice Chair of the Professional Development Committee and a past CIGIE Vice Chair.

Ms. McFarland also served as Chair of the Inspector General Recommendation Panel, which receives resumes from those interested in presidentially or agency appointed inspector general positions. The panel reviews the resumes, along with a questionnaire all applicants are asked to complete, and forwards those of qualified candidates to the White House Office of Personnel for its consideration. The panel also provides assistance to those agencies that select their own IGs through a competitive process.