Oversight
USPS says mail theft is getting worse, but its plans are so far incomplete and yielding few results
The mailing agency must flesh out its strategies to address rising crime rates, Postal Service watchdog says.
Management
National lab isn’t properly tracking sensitive and high-risk property, OIG says
A new report from the Energy Department’s inspector general found that Brookhaven National Laboratory hadn’t adequately classified crucial property, including “lasers, oscilloscopes, chemical /biological equipment … that accounted for approximately $183 million” in value.
Workforce
OIG: Tech demand remains a talent challenge for the federal home loan agencies, but telework can help
A report spotlighting the potential risks of recruiting and retaining talent at the agencies overseeing federal home loans shows tight competition for tech talent.
Management
ICE officials didn’t accurately report how they disrupted transnational criminals, OIG says
Immigration officials didn’t know how many transnational criminal organizations they impacted over five years due to a data filing misstep, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general.
Management
FLRA’s contract management system lacked documents, OIG says
The agency that oversees labor-management relations for the federal government was missing key information from its acquisition files and previously “had no formal contract file management policy in place,” according to leadership.
Oversight
FDIC needs to sharpen its cyberthreat sharing with financial institutions, OIG says
Despite recent improvements, a watchdog report claims the agency still has more it can do to make threat-sharing policies more effective.
Oversight
DEA has regularly hired applicants it flagged as lying on their polygraphs
The agency also faces allegations of nepotism in its lie detector testing and a watchdog is saying the issues require "immediate attention" from management.
Management
DHS inspector general pays $1.2M settlement to former deputy
Joseph Cuffari has faced widespread allegations of misconduct, though he denies any wrongdoing.
Oversight
‘These were not normal times’: A former watchdog reflects on COVID-19 oversight
Bob Westbrooks, who first joined the government in 1994, served as executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee for over two years.
Oversight
‘Serious failures’ handling Jeffrey Epstein’s custody highlight the staffing crisis at federal prisons, watchdog says
The Justice Department IG blasted the Bureau of Prisons on many fronts in a new report and the bureau’s director concurred with all the recommendations.
Oversight
Democrats: It's Time for the DHS Watchdog to Go
Two House lawmakers allege the inspector general violated the Federal Records Act when he deleted text messages on his government-issued phone.
Oversight
The DHS Watchdog Says He Deletes Texts. Lawmakers Want to Know If This Violates Records Preservation Laws.
Two lawmakers have also introduced a bill to increase transparency in the Homeland Security Inspector General office.
Workforce
Lawmakers Squabble Over DHS Staffing Levels, IG's Credibility
Republicans say Biden's border approach is causing employees' morale to tank, though Democrats say they are using faulty data.
Oversight
House Oversight Chief to Biden: It’s Time to Finally Nominate State, USAID and Treasury Watchdogs
Two of the positions have been vacant for more than 1,000 days, and the other has sat empty for over 850 days.
Oversight
Thousands of HUD Contractor Employees Need Better Whistleblower Protections, Watchdog Says
Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis warned of a possible “chilling effect” that could make the contractors hesitant to report wrongdoing.
Oversight
ATF Misclassified Jobs. A Senator Wants the Justice Department to Dig Deeper.
Citing concerns by the whistleblowers who triggered the investigation that found that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had systematically misclassified administrative jobs as law enforcement-related, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, asked the Justice Department to do a more thorough investigation.
Oversight
Senators From Across the Aisle Agree: Biden Needs to Nominate 6 Watchdogs, Quickly
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., underscored the need for permanent leadership to fully “promote economical, efficient, and effective administration and operation of the government.”
Management
HHS Failed to Screen All Employees Working at Shelters for Migrant Children
The Biden administration ignored its own background check policies as it struggled to handle a 700% increase in unaccompanied children arriving at the border.
Oversight
Health and Human Services Watchdog: We Need More Funding for Oversight
The office touts its return on investment, but tells lawmakers that current funding levels don’t keep pace with investigative needs.
Management