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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
In addition, if you suspect that you have been retaliated against for whistleblowing, you may contact the Commerce OIG Hotline or the Office of Special Counsel.
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).

NTIA’s Award Processes Leave Tribal Broadband Grants Vulnerable to Fraud and Duplication

2024
OIG-24-019-A
Audit
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

A primary goal of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is to expand U.S. broadband Internet access and adoption. To help meet this goal, NTIA administers six broadband programs, including the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). Our objective for this audit...

Independent Program Evaluation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Pandemic Relief Program

2024
OIG-24-018-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

We contracted with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), an independent firm, to perform this evaluation. Our office oversaw the evaluation’s progress to ensure that IDA performed it in accordance with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Quality Standards for...

Independent Program Evaluation of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Pandemic Relief Program

2024
OIG-24-017-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce
Pandemic

For the independent program evaluation of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Pandemic Relief Program, the evaluation objective was to determine whether NIST grantees and subrecipients accounted for and expended pandemic relief funds provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and...

Management Alert: NOAA Must Take Action to Address Significant Ship Fleet Recapitalization Risks

2024
OIG-24-016-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

While conducting a risk assessment to inform our Fiscal Year 2024 Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce report, we concluded that the ship construction program the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently undertaking is insufficient to...

Management Alert: Challenges Industry Stakeholders Face with Broadband Deployment

2024
OIG-24-015-M
Other
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

We issued this management alert to notify the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of potential risks identified during an ongoing evaluation that could affect NTIA’s broadband programs, primarily the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Specifically...

Two Southeastern Colorado Farmers Sentenced to Federal Prison and Will Pay Over $6.5 Million for Defrauding Federal Crop Insurance Programs

Two Southeastern Colorado Farmers Sentenced to Federal Prison and Will Pay Over $6.5 Million for Defrauding Federal Crop Insurance Programs
Article Type
Investigative Press Release
Publish Date

Two Southeastern Colorado Farmers Sentenced to Federal Prison and Will Pay Over $6.5 Million for Defrauding Federal Crop Insurance Programs

The Department Needs to Improve Oversight to Ensure the Success of Its Financial System Modernization

2024
OIG-24-014-A
Audit
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

We audited the Department’s progress in managing and implementing the Business Applications Solution (BAS) program. BAS is an enterprise financial system that will modernize the Department’s aging and disparate systems. We found that although the program prepared for the National Oceanic and...

Independent Evaluation of the 2020 Decennial Census Evaluations and Experiments (EAE) Operation

2024
OIG-24-011-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

We contracted with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), an independent firm, to evaluate the U.S. Census Bureau's EAE operation. The original objective was to determine whether the bureau prepared adequate and timely operational assessments that included the appropriate metrics to support...

The Department Needs to Strengthen Its Ethics Oversight for USPTO Patent Examiners

2024
OIG-24-013-I
Inspection / Evaluation
Department of Commerce OIG
Department of Commerce

For our evaluation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (the Department’s) ethics oversight of USPTO patent examiners, our evaluation objective was to determine whether USPTO and the Department effectively administered ethics rules to...

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