OIG respects the desire of employees and others for confidentiality when they provide complaints or information and discloses identities only when the Inspector General determines that disclosure is unavoidable.
Complaints Made by Smithsonian Employees
After receiving a complaint or information from a Smithsonian employee, OIG shall not disclose the identity of the employee without the consent of the employee unless the Inspector General determines that such disclosure is unavoidable during an investigation, per section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. Given this statutory provision, employees have this protection even if they do not specifically request it.
Complaints Made by Other Individuals
Individuals who are not Smithsonian employees do not have an automatic right to confidentiality under section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978. Nonetheless, OIG policy is not to reveal the identity of other individuals unless the Inspector General determines that it is unavoidable.
Anonymity
If you do not wish to disclose your identity, you may remain anonymous when contacting OIG. However, please keep in mind that anonymity may impede a quick or thorough investigation or the success of a later prosecution.