Conversation with Bob Westbrooks on Left Holding the Bag: A Watchdog’s Account of How Washington Fumbled its Covid Test

What is the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) and how does the PRAC conduct oversight? What are the most effective ways to combat fraud related to the pandemic response? What is meant by agile oversight and how does it differ from a traditional oversight approach?  Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Bob Westbrooks, author, Left Holding the Bag: A Watchdog’s Account of How Washington Fumbled its Covid Test and former Executive Director of the PRAC.

Broadcast Date: 
Monday, June 26, 2023 - 09:28

Bob Westbrooks

Robert A. Westbrooks was appointed Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) on April 27, 2020. Mr. Westbrooks has spent 26 years in public service focusing on accountability and anti-fraud activities, serving the last 5 years as Inspector General for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation conducting independent oversight, audits, and investigations to help protect the retirement benefits of 35 million American workers and retirees.

Executive Director
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee

Robert A. Westbrooks was appointed Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) on April 27, 2020. Mr. Westbrooks has spent 26 years in public service focusing on accountability and anti-fraud activities, serving the last 5 years as Inspector General for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation conducting independent oversight, audits, and investigations to help protect the retirement benefits of 35 million American workers and retirees.

A former U.S. postal inspector, Mr. Westbrooks has served in leadership roles in several federal oversight agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Transportation OIG, U.S. Postal Service OIG, and National Archives and Records Administration OIG. At the SBA OIG, Mr. Westbrooks served as Deputy Inspector General and acting Assistant Inspector General for Audits.

Mr. Westbrooks is an attorney, certified public accountant, certified internal auditor, certified information systems auditor, and spent 21 years as a federal criminal investigator. From 2016 to 2020, Mr. Westbrooks served as chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) and as a member of the CIGIE Executive Council. He is a frequent speaker and author on the topics of oversight, enterprise risk management, and leadership.