From Grok Michael E. Horowitz is the Inspector General (IG) for the United States Department of Justice. He was sworn in as the Inspector General on April 16, 2012, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Here are some key points about his background and role:

Background: Horowitz was born on September 19, 1962. He graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and minored in Legal Studies. He then earned a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. His early career included working as a law clerk, an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, and as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1991 to 1999. Career Highlights: Before becoming Inspector General, Horowitz served as a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham, & Taft LLP, focusing on white collar defense, internal investigations, and regulatory compliance. He was also a Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2003 to 2012. Role as Inspector General: As Inspector General, Horowitz oversees a nationwide workforce tasked with detecting and deterring waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct within DOJ programs and personnel. He is also responsible for promoting economy and efficiency in the Department's operations. His tenure has included several high-profile investigations, notably into the FBI and Department of Justice's actions during the 2016 presidential election, including the investigations related to Hillary Clinton's emails and the FBI's "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Notable Investigations: He led the investigation into the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email case, referred to as "Midyear Exam." He also conducted a review of the FBI's actions in obtaining FISA surveillance warrants for Carter Page, part of the "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation, which concluded there were significant errors in the process but found no evidence of political bias influencing the decision to start the investigation into the Trump campaign. Other Roles: From 2015 to 2020, Horowitz served as the chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). Since April 2020, he has also led the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to oversee federal spending related to the COVID-19 response.

Horowitz has been both praised and criticized, with some viewing his investigations as thorough but others accusing him of bias or insufficiently scrutinizing certain actions ().