Department of the Interior

The OIG investigated allegations that an oil and gas company irregularly reported oil sold in the Vernal, UT, area to avoid paying royalties. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also suspected that a BLM employee’s signature may have been forged on a document related to one of the company’s oil...

The OIG investigated an allegation that a tribal official stole Federal funds by using a tribal charge card for personal expenses.We found that the official embezzled more than $98,000 by charging personal expenses to tribal government charge cards assigned to him from December 2009 until July 2015...

We investigated allegations that a BIE official, when he was the principal of a BIE boarding school, had attempted to increase the school’s Federal funding by:• Allowing or directing the enrollment of students in the school’s gifted and talented (GT) program without properly assessing them•...

The OIG investigated an allegation that a senior official with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) committed perjury while testifying in an official capacity at a Federal trial in 2017. In a motion to dismiss, the defense quoted a 2008 letter signed by the official that, according to the defense...

The OIG investigated allegations that a United States Geological Survey (USGS) manager made unwelcome and inappropriate comments of a sexual nature to a female subordinate.We found that the USGS manager provided inconsistent statements and demonstrated a lack of candor during interviews, but...

The OIG investigated allegations that three supervisors in a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regional office were involved in a variety of incidents that included misusing and failing to properly account for the office’s specialized communications vehicles, misusing take-home Government-owned...

The OIG investigated allegations that a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employee violated conflict of interest laws by steering BLM contracts to a business that he owned.The employee admitted to the conflict of interest and that his actions were wrong. We found that the employee’s wife owned a...

We inspected 15 financial assistance agreement files of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS’) International Affairs Program (IA).Across all 15 agreements reviewed, we found instances where the IA did not comply with Federal regulations, FWS policy, or agreement terms and conditions when...

We completed an inspection of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s compliance with secure communication requirements for publicly accessible web and email systems from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The General Services Administration...

The OIG investigated allegations that a National Park Service (NPS) superintendent abused his authority by using Federal funds to replace the driveway and perform grounds cleanup at his Government-leased quarters, and that he violated safety regulations and the National Historic Preservation Act of...