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Watchdogs call for protection of their temporary colleagues’ independence
Chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Alison Lerner said that current provisions for vacant posts, 'undermine the IG’s independence and stakeholders’ confidence.'
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Watchdogs
Injuries are higher among nonpermanent postal employees
U.S. Postal Service employees in a non-career capacity get injured on the job 50 percent more often than permanent employees, a government watchdog found.
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Watchdog: Ross misled on reason for citizenship question
According to an investigation from the Office of Inspector General, during congressional testimony three years ago, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross gave a misleading reason for why he wanted a citizenship question on the 2020 census.
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Watchdog: 2 Trump EPA appointees defrauded agency of $130K
Two high-ranking Trump political appointees at the EPA engaged in fraudulent payroll activities, including payments to employees after they were fired and to one of the officials when he was absent from work.
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Watchdog priorities back up IRS request for more staff
A Government Accountability Office report listed human capital management as a top challenge for the IRS to achieve its mission.
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Watchdogs would get subpoena power under a bipartisan bill
Inspectors General would have the court-enforceable power to compel testimony from former feds and contractors.
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Agency watchdogs lack protection and resources to fulfill missions
Inspectors general often lack the staff, influence and protection from political interference to fully accomplish their missions of uncovering waste, fraud and abuse.
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Former Trump housing official sanctioned over campaign video
Former Trump administration official Lynne Patton has been barred from holding a federal job for four years after she 'improperly harnessed the authority of her federal position to assist the Trump campaign.'
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Shrinking staff and dipping morale plague federal labor office
The National Labor Relations Board managed to accomplish faster work with fewer people, but at a cost to employee morale.
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Workforce shortages are ‘significant’ to agencies’ high-risk problems
Nearly two-thirds of high-risk problems outlined by the Government Accountability Office have a significant workforce component.
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Federal watchdogs open probe of response to Capitol riot
The reviews will encompass everything from whether the FBI adequately shared information with other law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence to how the Pentagon mobilized for the Jan. 6 crisis.
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Agencies begin to receive compliance checks on diversity executive order
Agency inspectors general have confirmed whether agencies are in the process of implementing White House orders to restrict diversity training.
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Investigators blast VA secretary’s ‘unprofessional’ behavior but find no evidence of crimes
The report accuses senior officials of ignoring problems within the department to pursue political vendettas instead.
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Trump adviser broke law with Biden criticism, watchdog says
Pete Navarro, the director of the White House Office for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, repeatedly violated the Hatch Act with his criticism of Joe Biden, a watchdog agency reported.
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Agencies lack information on underpaid contract workers
The Department of Labor is responsible for investigating federal service contractors that underpay their employees, but not all agencies are aware of which contractors are responsible.
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Millions of mail ballots not yet returned in key states
Compounding concerns are mail delivery delays that have persisted across the country.
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Watchdog council honors outstanding inspectors general at 2020 awards
The 2020 awards honored inspectors general employees that performed exceptional work in preventing waste, fraud and abuse.
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Agriculture secretary violated Hatch Act by backing Trump reelection
The Office of Special Counsel called on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to reimburse the government for costs associated with his participation in an event in North Carolina.
Union officials praise plans for investigation into accusations of racism at Veterans Affairs
GAO officials plan a full examination of the charges in early 2021.
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Agency relocation was justified by ‘misleading’ information, watchdog finds
Congressional testimony that the Bureau of Land Management had to relocate it's offices due to cost increases was largely 'misleading,' according to an agency Inspector General report.
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Watchdog: Homeland Security officials were wrongly appointed
The Government Accountability Office says acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and his acting deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, are ineligible to run the agency.
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Initial efforts to merge OPM and GSA cost more money, watchdog finds
Efforts to move property management authorities from the Office of Personnel Management to the General Services Administration were a "waste of resources," the agency inspector general found.
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State Department watchdog resigns after predecessor’s ouster
Stephen Akard announced his resignation just two days after Democrats issued subpoenas for several of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's top aides to answer questions about the shakeup in the watchdog's office.
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Florida postal clerk charged in ID theft scheme
A Florida postal clerk stole mail and passport applications as part of an identify theft scheme, federal prosecutors said.
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Watchdog report faults Medicare agency’s contract management
The head of the Medicare and Medicaid programs failed to properly manage more than $6 million in communications and outreach contracts, giving broad authority over federal employees to a Republican media strategist she worked with before joining the Trump administration, a government watchdog said in a report to be released Thursday.
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Omaha postal service employee indicted on mail theft
A former U.S. Postal Service employee in Omaha was indicted for mail theft, and federal prosecutors said Monday that they have identified about 216 victims.
