CYNTHIA LIE

Government Publishing Office, Counselor to the Inspector General

Cynthia Lie previously served as Deputy Counsel and then Division Chief for 6 years at the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (OIG). She handled and oversaw sensitive investigations and inquiries of high-level officials and complex matters, including False Claims Act and criminal financial fraud cases. She further led attorneys advising on audits, inspections and investigations involving all aspects of DHS programs. Ms. Lie established the Department of Homeland Security’s whistleblower protection and investigations program.

Before joining the OIG, Ms. Lie served for 15 years at the Department of Justice (DOJ) as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Fraud and Financial Crimes Unit, the Major Crimes Unit, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force of the Criminal Division and in the Civil Division. She prosecuted money laundering, mortgage fraud and organized crime cases through to successful jury trials. She further handled defensive litigation regarding civil actions brought against the United States.

Prior to her time at DOJ, Ms. Lie clerked for the Honorable Thomas C. Platt in the Eastern District of New York. She was a litigator at a large, international law firm based in New York. She graduated from Fordham Law School and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University.