Zamarin Named WMATA Inspector General
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(WMATA OIG image)
With unanimous Board support, Michelle A. Zamarin has been formally appointed as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) new Inspector General, effective June 17. She succeeds Kevin Muhlendorf, who will remain in the role until June.
Zamarin, who will be sworn in at a special Board of Directors meeting in June, currently serves as Litigation Counsel in the Trial Unit of the Enforcement Division at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She is responsible for conducting investigations into violations of the federal securities laws. She also litigates the Commission’s civil suits in the federal courts in matters involving fraud in public company disclosures, corporate governance, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, market manipulation, breaches of fiduciary duty, and insider trading.
Prior to her work at the SEC, Zamarin had a nearly 20-year career at the United States Attorney’s Office, most recently serving as its Chief of the Capitol Siege, Assault and Breach Section. In this role, she supervised 80-100 attorneys, including seven deputy chiefs, who were charged with prosecuting the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, the largest Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation to date. Her previous leadership roles at the U.S. Attorney’s Office included Deputy Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Chief of the Federal Major Crimes Section.
“Ms. Zamarin is an accomplished, collaborative leader with experience in areas that are fundamental to Metro and the Office of Inspector General. Her increasing leadership roles demonstrate her ability to excel in areas of audits, investigations, and more,” said Metro Board Chair Paul Smedberg. “Ms. Zamarin understands the law and how it applies to Metro. We look forward to her employing her expertise here to root out waste, fraud, and abuse- the core functions of the Inspector General office.”
Zamarin holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Franklin and Marshall College. She is a member of the bars in the State of New York and the District of Columbia.
“I also want to thank Metro’s interim Inspector General Kevin Muhlendorf for his service to the Authority. The Board is appreciative of his leadership and service since last November,” said Smedberg.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) operates independently of WMATA and “conducts audits, program evaluations, and investigations, detects and prevents fraud and abuse, and promotes efficiency and effectiveness” at the agency.
