Legality of a Delegation of Authority by the Office of Personnel Management

A Congressional officer requested GAO's opinion on the legality of the delegation of authority by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to the position of Executive Assistant to the Director.

GAO found that the Director (1) exceeded his authority be delegating all of the Director's functions to the subordinate position of Executive Assistant to the Director and (2) illegally circumvented the statutory 4-year limit on the Director's term of office where, on the last day of his term, he delegated all the Director's functions to the position of Executive Assistant to the Director and himself filled the position of Executive Assistant the following day.