Luiz A. Santos

Luiz A. Santos was sworn in as Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Inspector General (OIG) on January 16, 2022, after serving in an acting capacity since June 2020. In this role, Mr. Santos shares the responsibility for leading a nationwide, independent oversight organization with an annual budget of $97 million and more than 350 criminal investigators, auditors, attorneys, subject-matter experts, and management professionals whose mission is to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in DOL programs, and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in DOL operations. As Deputy Inspector General, Mr. Santos oversees close to $14 billion in annual federal funding for essential programs, such as unemployment insurance, worker safety and health, training and reemployment services, pension and health care benefits, wage and hour standards, and economic statistics. He also directs criminal investigations into labor racketeering corruption and the influence of organized crime in employee benefit plans, internal union affairs, and labor-management relations. The OIG also works with other law enforcement partners on human trafficking matters.

Mr. Santos has more than a decade of leadership experience in the federal oversight community. He was first appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2017 as the DOL-OIG Assistant Inspector General for Congressional and Public Relations. In this role, he oversaw the OIG’s independent reporting and liaison activities with Congress, the Administration, and other government entities. In addition, he served as the agency’s Public Affairs Officer, directing all press, social media, and public relations functions. He joined the DOL-OIG in 2009 as a member of the OIG’s Office of Management and Policy, where he was responsible for agency-wide strategic planning and performance reporting, policy development and review, congressional and public relations, and cross-functional projects in the areas of human resources, budget, information technology, procurement, and administrative operations.

Mr. Santos began his federal career in 2008 after being selected to participate in DOL’s MBA Fellows Program. During this two-year leadership development program, he served in several DOL agencies, including the Civil Rights Center, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, and the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. He was also assigned to the 2008 Presidential Transition Team and to the White House Task Force on the Middle Class.

Prior to joining the federal government, Mr. Santos had more than 10 years of experience in the private sector in the U.S. and abroad, where he worked in the areas of business administration, project management, and communication.

Mr. Santos has received many awards and commendations throughout his federal career, including several Secretary’s Exceptional Achievement Awards, OIG Excellence and Special Achievement Awards, and the inaugural DOL Willard Wirtz Legacy Award. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s in Business Administration from Suffolk University in Boston, and the international certifications of Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Project Management Professional (PMP). He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute.