Photo of Inspector General Sean W. O’Donnell
Sean W. O’Donnell
Sean W. O’Donnell was sworn in as the Inspector General of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on January 27, 2020. The mission of the Office of Inspector General is to promote economy and efficiency at the EPA and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, as well as detect and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse related to the programs and operations of those two agencies. To this end, Mr. O’Donnell oversees a nationwide workforce of attorneys, auditors, special agents, and support personnel who support the Office’s mission by providing evidence-based reports to the agencies, the public, and to Congress. Prior to becoming the Inspector General, Mr. O’Donnell spent 15 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, most recently as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Over his career at the DOJ, he handled a wide range of criminal and civil matters, such as commercial and governmental fraud, corruption, and national security matters. In total, Mr. O’Donnell’s work in fighting fraud helped return approximately $3 billion to the U.S. Treasury and brought numerous individuals and corporations to justice.
Mr. O’Donnell received numerous awards and honors at the DOJ, including the Attorney General’s Award and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director’s Award.
Early in his career, Mr. O’Donnell clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge Raymond Gruender on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and U.S. District Judge Harry Lee Hudspeth on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. He also spent time in private practice, working on intellectual property and antitrust litigation, among other matters. Mr. O’Donnell is active in his community, having served on his city’s redistricting and ethics commissions. His contribution to youth sports in his community has been recognized through awards and other accolades.
Mr. O’Donnell has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Texas A&M University, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in economics and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.