Michael J. Missal is the inspector general of the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 19, 2016 and sworn in on May 2, 2016. On January 24, 2025, he was fired by President Donald Trump along with at least 17 other Inspectors General; however, the legality of the firing remains in question.

Early life and education

Missal was born in

Bristol, Connecticut Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. The ...

. His father, Harold Missal, a decorated WWII veteran who helped liberate the

Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

, served as a Connecticut state court judge for more than forty years. Missal graduated from

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

and received his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from Catholic University Law School.

Career

Missal served in the

Carter administration Jimmy Carter's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 39th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Jimmy Carter, his inauguration on January 20, 1977, and ended on January 20, 1981. Carter, a Democratic Party ...

as a staff assistant to assistant to the president

Anne Wexler Anne Levy Wexler (February 10, 1930 – August 7, 2009) was an influential American Democratic political consultant, public policy advisor, and later the first woman to head a leading lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. Early life and educati ...

and then as a law clerk to counsel to the president

Lloyd Cutler Lloyd Norton Cutler (November 10, 1917 – May 8, 2005) was an American attorney who served as White House Counsel during the Democratic administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Early life and education Cutler was born ...

. After graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk for Chief Judge H. Carl Moultrie I of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving Criminal justice, criminal, Civil law (common law), civi ...

. He then joined the

US Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market ma ...

in the Division of Enforcement. Prior to his appointment as inspector general, Missal was a partner at K&L Gates LLP, where he was a member of the K&L Gates Management Committee and also served as co-leader for the K&L Gates Policy and Regulatory Practice Area. He led several high-profile investigations, including an inquiry into the use of the “

Killian Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an Anglicized version of the Irish name . The name was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois (France) and Franconia (Germany) and the author of the life of St Brigid. The na ...

” documents by 60 Minutes; the collapse of

WorldCom MCI, Inc. (formerly WorldCom and MCI WorldCom) was a telecommunications company. For a time, it was the second-largest long-distance telephone company in the United States, after AT&T. WorldCom grew largely by acquiring other telecommunicatio ...

for the federal bankruptcy court; and, as the DOJ appointed bankruptcy examiner, the report about the financial misconduct at

New Century Financial New Century Financial Mortgage Corporation was a real estate investment trust that originated mortgage loans in the United States through its operating subsidiaries, New Century Mortgage Corporation and Home123 Corporation. It was founded in 19 ...

Inspector General

As Inspector General, Mr. Missal guides a staff of more than 1,100 auditors, investigators, inspectors, data analysts, lawyers, and other personnel across the nation to carry out the OIG’s mission of meaningful independent oversight of VA; to find waste, fraud, and abuse at VA. Some examples of fraud found by Mr. Missal and his staff, included the prosecution of Reta Mays, the report on the improper travel of former VA Secretary

David Shulkin David Jonathon Shulkin (born July 22, 1959) is an American physician and former government official who served as the ninth United States secretary of veterans affairs from 2017 to 2018 under President Donald Trump. He was the Under Secretary of ...

, the prosecution of Dr. Robert Levy, the payment of illegal bonuses to VA senior staff, and failures of the

Veterans Crisis Line The Veterans Crisis Line is a United States–based crisis hotline for military veterans, service members, their families, and caregivers. The service is available 24/7 via the toll-free hotline number 988. Callers press 1 on their keypad to con ...

. Mr. Missal serves as the chair of the Investigations Committee of the

Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nation ...

(CIGIE) and is a member of the

Pandemic Response Accountability Committee The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) is an independent oversight committee within the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 20 ...

, CIGIE’s Executive Council, and Government Accountability Office’s Domestic Working Group. He has testified more than 25 times before Congress and briefs VA senior leaders, other federal oversight officials, and veterans service organizations on issues critical to the veteran community.

References

Inspectors General (IGs) dismissed by Donald Trump Inspectors general removed or fired by Donald Trump United States inspectors general {{DEFAULTSORT:Missal, Michael Year of birth missing (living people) Living people