Metro’s board is not re-appointing Inspector General Geoff Cherrington. Board documents posted Tuesday say Cherrington’s five-year appointment is up and they plan to appoint his deputy, Rene Febles as Acting Inspector General starting April 17. The board will vote on the resolution Thursday.

It was not immediately clear why Cherrington would not be reappointed. Board Chair Paul Smedberg referred DCist/WAMU to Metro’s media relations department, which said it can’t comment on personnel matters. Cherrington had no comment.

The independent office performs audits, program evaluations, and investigations into Metro. It aims to find fraud, waste, and abuse. Cherrington has uncovered many Metro issues during his time.

Cherrington’s office was charged by Congress with investigating why the 7000-series train issues — including a fall 2021 derailment apparently caused by faulty wheelsets that Metro was aware of — weren’t elevated to Metro and Metrorail Safety Commission officials. The IG’s office also found that Metro works did not intentionally withhold any information about the wheel conditions and treated the issue as a warranty issue instead of a safety issue.

Last year, his office reported that Metro Transit Police didn’t properly investigate or document thousands of crimes on the system. He’s also investigated why Metro’s garages were so dirty and why Metro spent $400,000 on a broken self-cleaning toilet. His office also uncovered fraud where $300,000 of cleaning supplies were never delivered.

In 2021, his office recommended improvements for MetroAccess, which serves people with disabilities, after complaints about long trip times and other service issues.

Cherrington has often been called in front of Congress to act as an oversight voice on Metro issues. Last year, Congress approved an additional $5 million to strengthen the office’s work, and greenlit a number of reforms including greater independence in the annual budget request and approval process, a separate legal counsel from WMATA, and more.

The relationship between the OIG, WMATA staff, and the board has usually been cordial in recent years. But not always. In 2017, a Metro employee spied on the inspector general’s office by installing a keystroke monitor to see what the office was typing. That person — who WMATA spokesperson Dan Stessel called a “rogue” employee to the Washington Post at the time — was fired.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia), who has been supportive of the Inspector General’s office and asked Cherrington to testify in front of Congress many times, said in a statement, “now is not the time to have an acting Inspector General. With a change in (General Manager) leadership imminent, we need a strong, independent IG office that continues to provide oversight of Metro.”

In a statement, Sen. Tim Kain said, “Metro riders deserve a strong, independent Inspector General that will boost safety and transparency. We were proud that the bipartisan infrastructure bill expanded the oversight capabilities of the IG and we’ll keep working to ensure the office has the resources it needs.”

Metro created the office in 2016. Cherrington was appointed in 2017. He had previously served as Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of State and also worked in inspector general offices at the Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, and the Department of Defense. He replaced then-WMATA Inspector General Helen Lew who retired.

This story was updated with comments from Metro media relations and Sen. Tim Kaine.