Larry D. Turner

Larry D. Turner was the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor, nominated by President Joe Biden and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He served from December 2021 until he was fired by President Donald Trump in January 2025.

As the Inspector General, Turner led an independent oversight organization with an annual budget of $110 million and oversaw 350 professionals, including an executive staff of 11 Senior Executive Service members. His mission was to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement within the Department of Labor while promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. During the pandemic, fraudsters targeted the nation’s $888 billion unemployment insurance program. Under his leadership, the office received an additional $38.5 million in congressional funding to combat pandemic-related fraud. His office’s efforts led to over 2,000 indictments and 1,400 convictions while recovering more than $1.1 billion in stolen benefits.

He oversaw approximately $14 billion in federal funding across programs, including unemployment insurance, worker safety and health, training and reemployment services, pension and healthcare benefits, wage and labor standards, and economic statistics. He directed criminal investigations into organized crime influence and labor racketeering corruption in employee benefit plans, internal union affairs, and labor-management relations. In addition, his department worked with other law enforcement partners on human trafficking.

Turner has testified multiple times before Congress, including before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, where he revealed that $191 billion in improper unemployment insurance payments had been identified, with at least $76 billion deemed fraudulent. His findings prompted President Biden to request an additional $100 million in funding to enhance fraud recovery efforts. Recognized for his outstanding oversight work, he was among nine inspectors invited to the White House to discuss pandemic fraud and accountability with the president.

A career rooted in the Army

His distinguished career of service to his country began in the U.S. Army, where he served twenty-four years and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He held many posts, most recently as Army Installation Management Command Liaison Officer to the Army Materiel Command, and Executive Officer to the executive director.

After his military retirement, he held a number of civilian positions including Deputy and Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Office of Communication and Congressional Liaison, Department of Defense at the Pentagon, and the Deputy Inspector General for the Army Installation Management Command.

Education & honors

Larry D. Turner holds a B.S. in business from Morgan State University, an MBA in business management from Golden Gate University, and an M.S. in resource management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, the Harvard University Senior Executive Fellow Program, the Defense Leadership and Management Program, and the Federal Executive Institute. He holds a Certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown University.

He has received numerous civilian and military awards, including the 2026 Morgan State University Alumnus of the Year, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s 2024 Distinguished Service Award, Department of Defense and Army Civilian Meritorious Service Awards, the Civilian Superior Service Award, the Civilian Commander’s Award, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal with Five Oak Leaf Clusters, multiple Southwest Asia Medals, and the Army Parachutist Badge.

Larry D. Turner retired from service to the U.S. federal government in January 2025. He is currently the President of LT3 Inc., a nonprofit he and his wife founded to assist those in underserved communities. He is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He and his wife, Lottie, live in Stafford, Virginia.