In the aftermath of Watergate, Congress created watchdog jobs to make sure federal agencies were properly managing taxpayer money and acting legally and ethically.

But over the past year, some top government officials have tried to call off the dogs, according to a recent article by Larry Margasak of the Associated Press.

Margasak provides the following examples:

“”The top official of the government’s property and supply agency compared its inspector general to a terrorist, hoping to chill audits of General Services Administration regional offices and private businesses.”

“”Directors of the government’s legal aid program discussed firing their inspector general, who investigated how top officials lavishly spent tax dollars for limousine services, ritzy hotels and $14 ‘Death by Chocolate’ desserts.”

“”Administration-friendly Republicans in Congress tried to do away with the special inspector general for Iraq, who repeatedly exposed examples of administration waste that cost billions of dollars. Among the contractors criticized was Halliburton Corp., once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.”

At a time when the Pentagon is spending hundreds of billions of dollars, its inspector general position has gone unfilled for 16 months. A nominee who recently withdrew from consideration told Congress that the Pentagon post lacks independence, citing a directive from then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that the office’s legal team be staffed by attorneys hired by Rumsfeld.

GSA Director Lurita Doan has justified an attempt to trim her own inspector general’s budget by saying that the office was wasteful and that some of the work should be done by private firms.

But private auditors aren’t likely to issue hard-hitting reports when they’re beholden to government agency heads for their contracts. Plus, the $5 million budget reduction Doan sought is dwarfed by the sums unearthed by her agency’s auditors, who have found, among other things, that a vendor was charging the government $22 more per carton of facial tissues than it charged commercial customers. Another vendor was charging $1,473 more per portable radio.

Because of an inspector general’s investigation, Oracle Corp. agreed to a $98 million settlement for overcharging the government for computers.

The money spent on audits is well worth it, so it’s disappointing that those who are exposed by them would rather muzzle the watchdogs than clean up their corrupt or sloppy practices.

Audits should serve as guides for reform, not as catalysts for retribution.

In fact, it’s the limousine-riding government honchos gorging themselves on expensive desserts who are the perfect candidates for sweet revenge.