WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- An FBI-led watchdog agency is reported looking into multiple complaints against U.S. space agency Inspector General Robert Cobb.
Cobb has been accused of retaliating against whistle-blowers and failing to investigate safety violations. Most of the complaints were filed by current and former employees of the inspector general's office, The Washington Post reported Friday.
Written complaints and supporting documents from at least 16 people have been given to investigators for the Integrity Committee of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
They allege that Cobb, appointed by President George Bush in 2002, suppressed investigations of wrongdoing within NASA and abused and penalized his own investigators when they persisted in raising concerns.
The complaints describe efforts by Cobb to shut down or ignore investigations on issues such as a malfunctioning self-destruct procedure during a space shuttle launch and the theft of an estimated $1.9 billion worth of data on rocket engines from NASA computers.
