Independent Inspector General Credits CPSC Leadership with Reversing Longstanding Management Failures

Watchdog recognizes decisive leadership, greater accountability, and progress in addressing years of institutional deficiencies

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a newly released report, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) independent Inspector General recognized progress under Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman's leadership in addressing longstanding management deficiencies, strengthening accountability, and improving agency operations.

In his Management and Performance Challenges for Fiscal Year 2027, Inspector General Christopher W. Dentel identified improvement in the agency's leadership and management culture:

"Historically, a recurring issue at the CPSC, and one which has compounded the difficulty in adequately addressing the CPSC's other challenges, has been the 'tone at the top' of the agency. I am happy to report that current senior leadership has taken steps to reverse this trend."

The Inspector General further observed that "current senior leadership has demonstrated a willingness to embrace change and act decisively," and cited progress across several areas:

Accountability and performance: Establishing performance metrics and dashboards, adopting a new strategic plan focused on measurable outcomes, and strengthening oversight of agency programs and personnel.

Enforcement and modernization: Creating an Analytic Center of Excellence to identify unsafe products and target illegal shipments, while advancing modernization of the agency's injury surveillance systems.

Internal controls and risk management: Updating longstanding agency policies, issuing 11 new directives, strengthening agency-wide risk assessments, and improving management oversight.

Operational efficiency: Advancing the relocation of CPSC headquarters to a smaller federal facility in Washington, D.C., reducing the agency's physical footprint by approximately 30 percent.

Regarding the agency's progress in strengthening enterprise risk management, the Inspector General concluded, "[W]e have been impressed by the progress that we have observed to date."

Acting Chairman Feldman issued the following statement:

"Addressing the institutional health of this agency has been one of my highest priorities. For too long, serious deficiencies in management, internal controls, financial oversight, and accountability were allowed to persist without adequate attention from senior agency leadership. These are not merely administrative concerns. They directly affect our ability to protect American consumers and responsibly steward taxpayer resources.

"Much work remains, but I value the Inspector General's independent oversight and appreciate his recognition of the progress we have made. An effective consumer protection agency must also be a well-managed institution. That is the agency we are building."

While the report continues to identify enterprise risk management, resource management, and information technology security as challenges, the Inspector General acknowledges that current leadership inherited longstanding deficiencies that will take time to address. He nevertheless credits agency leadership with making progress toward building "a more transparent, efficient, effective, and accountable agency."

Read the full report: Management and Performance Challenges for Fiscal Year 2027, CPSC Office of Inspector General, October 21, 2026 (Report No. 27-O-01), https://oig.cpsc.gov/reports/top-management-challenges/management-and-performance-challenges-fiscal-year-2027

About CPSC
CPSC is the federal agency charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury associated with thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the agency was established more than 50 years ago, CPSC has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, contributing to a decline in related injuries.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission-ordered recall or to a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with CPSC.

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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission