BEACON Act Creates EOP Watchdog, But Grants President Veto Power Over Sensitive Probes

The BEACON Act, short for the Bringing Executive Accountability, Clarity, and Oversight Now Act, sets up a brand new Inspector General (IG) office inside the Executive Office of the President (EOP). If you think of the EOP as the President’s central command center—the people who run the White House, manage policy councils, and coordinate the executive branch—this bill finally gives it an internal auditor, which is a big deal for transparency.

The Watchdog with a Leash

Here’s where things get interesting, and frankly, a little complicated. Typically, an IG is an independent watchdog, free to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse without interference. The BEACON Act grants the EOP IG that authority, but with a massive asterisk: the President retains “ultimate authority, direction, and control” over the IG when the investigation touches specific, highly sensitive areas. This control kicks in if the probe involves intelligence or counterintelligence, undercover operations, or the identity of a confidential source or protected witness. Essentially, the President can stop the IG from starting, continuing, or subpoenaing information for an investigation in these sensitive areas.

For anyone working inside the EOP—or anyone who might consider blowing the whistle on potential misconduct—this provision is the biggest hurdle. If your complaint involves national security or a source, the President has the power to shut down the investigation. While the bill requires the President to notify key Congressional committees (like Homeland Security and Judiciary) within 30 days if they block an investigation, the fact remains: the investigation is still blocked. This creates a scenario where the EOP IG, unlike most IGs across the government, cannot guarantee full access to information, which is the cornerstone of effective oversight. It’s an IG office, but one that comes with a built-in 'Do Not Enter' sign for the most politically sensitive topics.

Auditing the Auditors and Classification

Beyond the control issue, the BEACON Act does include some solid accountability measures. First, the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)—the group that checks on all the other IGs—must audit this new EOP IG office annually to make sure it’s actually doing its job effectively. This oversight of the oversight is a smart check against the office becoming ineffective.

Second, the IG is tasked with two specific evaluations focused on classified information within the EOP. They have to check whether the EOP is following classification rules and identify any management practices that lead to materials being persistently misclassified. For the average person, this might seem like bureaucratic housekeeping, but misclassification—either over-classifying routine documents to hide them from the public, or under-classifying sensitive ones—can have huge real-world consequences. The IG must report their findings and recommendations to Congress within 45 days of completing each evaluation, which gives Congress specific data to push for better information security and transparency practices.