Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Fined $1 Million For Causing Oil Spill
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date
Logo
Abbreviation
DOC
Agencies
Department of Commerce
Federal Agency
Yes
Location
United States
What to Report to the OIG Hotline
Commerce OIG maintains a Hotline for receiving allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement in the Department of Commerce’s programs and operations, including any organization or entity receiving Departmental funds. The following is a list of examples of types of allegations that should be reported:
- Contract and grant fraud
- Environmental, health, and safety violations
- Computer crimes (including internet pornography)
- Product substitution and suspect/counterfeit parts
- Bribery, kickbacks, and gratuities
- False statements and false claims
- Conflicts of interest and ethics violations
- Travel fraud
- Theft or abuse of government property
- Gross mismanagement of funds
- Other violations of federal laws and regulations
What Not to Report to the OIG Hotline
Certain matters are better resolved through other channels, instead of the Commerce OIG Hotline. The following matters are NOT generally investigated by Commerce OIG:
- 911 emergencies regarding a Departmental facility or operation. Report to the local or state law enforcement authorities and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Security.
- Complaints of EEO discrimination and retaliation. Report to the Department of Commerce’s Office of Civil Rights.
- Personal theft. Report to Department of Commerce’s Office of Security.
- Personnel matters involving requests for individual relief. Report to the servicing Office of Human Resources Management.
- Employment related grievances or complaints against management officials unless part of a whistleblower claim. Report to the servicing Office of Human Resources Management.
- Assistance with the U.S. patent application process (e.g., initial filing, patent examination, and post-examination) and case prosecution concerns (e.g., claim objections, after-final practice, claim rejections and restrictions). Contact the Patents Ombudsman Office (https://www.uspto.gov/patent/ombudsman-program).
Whistleblower Protection Page
The Inspector General’s March 2022 Semiannual Report to Congress
2022
SAR-2022-03
Semiannual Report
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
This report summarizes work that OIG initiated and completed during this semiannual period ending March 31, 2022, on a number of critical Departmental activities. Over the past 6 months—in addition to issuing OIG's annual "Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce"...
NOAA Inadequately Managed Its Active Directories That Support Critical Missions
2022
OIG-22-018-A
Audit
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
For our final report on the audit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) management of its Active Directories, our audit objective was to determine whether NOAA has adequately managed its Active Directories to protect mission critical systems and data. To address this...
The Department Needs to Improve Its System Security Assessment and Continuous Monitoring Program to Ensure Security Controls Are Consistently Implemented and Effective
2022
OIG-22-017-A
Audit
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
For our final report on our audit of the U.S. Department of Commerce's (the Department's) system security assessment process, our objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department's system security assessment and continuous monitoring program to ensure security deficiencies were identified...
Redesigned GOES-T is Ready for Launch, but NOAA Should Reassess Its Assumptions for Satellite Launch Planning and Storage
2022
OIG-22-015-A
Audit
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
For our final report on our audit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)–R series program (the Program), our objective was to assess the Program’s progress in achieving launch readiness for the GOES-T mission. To satisfy our...
Unclassified Joint Report on the Implementation of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015
2022
AUD-2021-002-U
Other
Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community
Multiple Agencies
The Department Must Improve Processes for Addressing and Managing ‘H’ Referrals
2022
OIG-22-014-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
This final report provides the results of our evaluation of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (the Department’s) processes for handling hotline complaints referred by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The objective of our evaluation was to review the Department’s processes for responding to...
FirstNet Authority Must Increase Governance and Oversight to Ensure NPSBN Security
2022
OIG-22-011-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
For our final report on the evaluation of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network's (NPSBN's) security architecture, our objective was to assess the NPSBN's security risks resulting from its security architecture. We contracted with The MITRE Corporation (MITRE)—an independent firm—to perform...
USPTO Has Opportunities to Improve its Patent Examination Process and to Advance Patent Decision-Making
2022
OIG-22-010-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
For our final report on the evaluation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) patent examination process, our objectives were to (I) assess whether patents are examined in compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and case law; (2) identify deficiencies within the...
The Inspector General’s September 2021 Semiannual Report to Congress
2021
SAR-2021-09
Semiannual Report
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
The Semiannual Report to Congress summarizes the key audits, evaluations, and investigative works the Office of Inspector General (OIG) completed during the 6-month period ending September 30, 2021. Over the past 6 months, OIG issued 11 products related to its audit, evaluation, and inspection work...