Federal Reports

To obtain further information about this Classified or Sensitive but Unclassified Report, please contact the OIG Office of Counsel at OIGCounsel@oig.treas.gov, (202) 927-0650, or by mail at Office of Treasury Inspector General, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20005.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an annual risk assessment of VA’s three charge card programs, which cover purchase cards for supplies and services; travel cards for official travel expenses; and fleet cards for fuel, maintenance, and repair of government-owned and -operated vehicles. These programs had over $5.6 billion in spending from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. The OIG conducted this risk assessment from August 2023 through January 2024. The team analyzed summary transaction data to assess charge card risk based on categories developed using data mining to identify potentially improper (including illegal and erroneous) charge card purchases. The team also reviewed VA policies, procedures, and other controls applicable to these charge card programs, as well as previously issued OIG reports and recommendations and results from OIG investigations of charge card misuse. Like the fiscal year 2020 assessment, the OIG concluded the Purchase Card Program is at medium risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases. Data analysis, the volume and value of spending, and OIG investigations and reviews identified patterns of purchase card transactions that deviate from the Federal Acquisition Regulation and VA policies and procedures.In contrast, VA’s Travel and Fleet Card Programs have a low risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases based on the data analysis and lack of related additional risk factors. The team reviewed travel card data from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. During the scope of this review, over 21,000 VA travel cardholders initiated about 615,000 transactions totaling approximately $90 million. From July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, VA fleet cards were used for over 165,000 transactions totaling approximately $17.5 million.

An Amtrak mechanical foreman based in Miami, Florida, signed a civil settlement agreement on September 10, 2024, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida. The employee agreed to pay $6,000 in restitution and a penalty of $2,325 related to the fraudulent application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance. Our investigation found that the employee applied for an EIDL Advance for an alleged transportation business. We interviewed the employee and he admitted that his loan application was fraudulent, and the information contained in the application was not accurate. As a result, the employee received an EIDL Advance in the amount of $6,000 to which he was not entitled.

The federal government spends billions of dollars annually on pharmaceutical items through VA’s Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program. The OIG examines and reports on pharmaceutical proposals submitted to the VA National Acquisition Center for FSS contracts that have an anticipated annual value expected to exceed $5 million. The oversight reports help VA contracting officers negotiate fair and reasonable prices for the government but are not published due to sensitive commercial information that is protected from release under federal law.To promote transparency, this review summarizes the 17 nonpublic oversight reports the OIG completed in fiscal year 2023 regarding pharmaceutical FSS proposals. The 17 proposals had a cumulative 10-year estimated contract value of approximately $19.5 billion. Contract negotiations for 16 of the 17 pharmaceutical proposals had been completed as of the date of this report. Collectively, the OIG recommended $120.6 million in contract savings over the life of the contracts.In reviewing each pharmaceutical proposal, the OIG provided an opinion as to whether the proposal and commercial disclosures were accurate, complete, and current; made recommendations for pricing based on the vendor’s commercial selling practices; and evaluated and suggested alternative tracking customers, which are customers that serve as a benchmark for potential price reductions during the life of the contract. If tracking customers receive a price reduction, the government’s price should also be reduced.The OIG’s findings and recommendations in preaward reports issued in FY 2023 helped VA contracting officers reduce the cost of pharmaceutical items. Contracting officers obtained and saved taxpayers approximately $351,669 over the 10-year life of the awarded contracts.

System Review Report