Press Release: 7/9/2024

Inspector General Shapiro Names New General Counsel

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

7/08/2024

MEDIA CONTACT

Carrie Kimball, Communications Officer

 Phone

Call Carrie Kimball, Communications Officer at 617-722-8894

 Online

Email Carrie Kimball, Communications Officer at carrie.c.kimball@mass.gov

BOSTON, MA — Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro today announced that former Assistant United States Attorney Eugenia M. “Genie” Carris has been named General Counsel for the Office of the Inspector General. Carris served in various positions at the US Attorney’s Office for 22 years, most recently as the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit. She is also an adjunct professor at Boston College Law School.

“Genie’s depth of experience investigating and prosecuting public corruption cases, including Big Dig contractors who overbilled the government, an extortion case involving a law enforcement official and a major disability fraud investigation, will greatly enhance the OIG’s mission-driven work. Not only did her efforts hold the perpetrators accountable but also resulted in much needed reforms in public agencies, which, in the long run, helps to mitigate against fraud, waste and abuse,” Shapiro said. “With oversight of $120 billion in municipal and state spending and the work of about 300,000 public employees, the OIG must work smart to fulfill our mandate to detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse of public resources.”

“As GC, Genie will have direct leadership of the Legal & Compliance Bureau, specifically the Office of the General Counsel, the Audit, Oversight and Investigations division and the Government Outreach and Public Policy division,” Shapiro said. “Her experience and judgement will be invaluable in determining how and where to deploy our resources so that our work is most impactful.”

“I am honored to join IG Shapiro and his dedicated team of public servants who work to combat fraud, waste and abuse in the Commonwealth. I admire IG Shapiro’s vision for an engaged and proactive OIG and look forward to contributing to the mission,” Carris said.

Prior to her appointment as an Assistant US Attorney, Carris served in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and at Goodwin, Proctor and Hoar, LLC. She clerked for the Honorable Mark L. Wolf at the US District Court in Boston. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Harvard College.

This completes IG Shapiro’s re-organization of the OIG. He created three bureaus – Operations, Publications & Training, Specialty & General Government and Legal & Compliance. These bureaus are led by Chief Operating Officer Katie Verma, Deputy Inspector General Susanne O’Neil, and General Counsel Genie Carris, respectively. “I am grateful to have these talented and committed professionals on the OIG leadership team. Together we are fortunate to lead a group of people who are devoted to detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse of public resources and thereby make government work better today than it did yesterday,” Shapiro said.

Genie Carris, General Counsel, with IG Jeff Shapiro