Press Release
John Walk Sworn In as Inspector General for the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General
For Immediate Release
January 5, 2026
WASHINGTON DC – Today the Honorable John Walk was sworn in to serve as USDA’s Inspector General. He was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025.
As Inspector General, Walk leads the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by providing strategic vision, setting priorities, and supervising a staff of nearly 400 employees including criminal investigators, auditors, attorneys, analytics staff, and administrative professionals to provide meaningful oversight of the Department’s work. “I am grateful to President Trump for this appointment and look forward to serving America’s farmers and ranchers by working to ensure OIG is everyday fulfilling its crucial mission of promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in USDA programs and operations and vigorously combating waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Inspector General Walk. “With my hand on the Bible and imploring God’s help to faithfully discharge my duties, today I was honored to take the oath of office to defend the United States Constitution and will work tirelessly as Inspector General to safeguard the integrity, transparence, and accountability of USDA to the American people,” continued Walk.
Inspector General Walk held previous positions at USDA as Judicial Officer where he made final decisions in administrative litigation and dispute resolution proceedings. He also served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary from July 2025 to January 2026. Beginning in 2017 until 2020, Inspector General Walk served as Associate Counsel to the President at the White House Counsel’s Office. He provided legal advice on executive actions, regulations, and numerous federal programs across the United States government. From 2008 to 2017, he held various legal roles at the Department of Homeland Security handling federal court litigation and providing legal counsel. Earlier in his career he worked at an international law firm in Washington, DC and on congressional staff. Inspector General Walk holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a Juris Doctor from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
The Inspector General’s authorization is provided by the Inspector General Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 401-424. The Inspector General is also designated a general officer of USDA and delegated additional responsibilities by 7 CFR §§ 2.4 and 2.33.