US Investigations Services
US Investigations Services, or what is now simply known as USIS, is a private contractor under the direction of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Founded in July of 1996, USIS began as part of an initiative of President Bill Clinton and the 104th Congress.
USIS began as an employee-owned company, but has since been purchased by private investors and was owned by The Carlyle Group and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, two private equity firms. In May 2007 USIS announced that it had been sold to Providence Equity Partners, another private equity firm.
In addition to OPM, USIS also has other clients and projects. A number of private employers rely on the Consumer Services Division of USIS. USIS also has a branch that aids in the training of Iraqi Police.
USIS also operates in Iraq, where it is involved in training the Iraqi Police. In May 2005, Theodore Westhusing, then a subordinate to lieutenant-general David Petraeus, received an anonymous letter alleging fraud, waste and abuse by USIS. The accusations included the following:
- forged employees' résumés claiming special forces background
- inadequate skills and competence of trainers
- insufficient numbers of trainers in order to maximize profits
- employees boasting of [...] Iraqis
He wrote a report, dated May 28, exhonorating USIS, and then committed [...] on June 5, 2005.
The current CEO of USIS is Randy E. Dobbs, formerly of General Electric.