Federal Reports

For our final report on our evaluation of the U.S. Census Bureau’s (the Bureau’s) award and use of a cooperative agreement to participate in a joint statistical project with Research Triangle Institute (RTI), an independent nonprofit institution, our objective was to determine whether the cooperative agreement was properly authorized, executed, and administered in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. Specifically, we determined whether (1) the Bureau's award of the Ask U.S. Panel cooperative agreement was in accordance with applicable federal regulations and Bureau policies, and (2) the Bureau's administration of the agreement complied with terms and conditions established in it. We found that the Bureau’s use of a cooperative agreement was authorized by statute and the process for awarding the cooperative agreement followed the agency’s guidelines. However, the Bureau’s management and oversight of the cooperative agreement lacked transparency over key financial assistance award processes. Specifically, I. the Bureau lacked documentation to support the need for the Ask U.S. Panel and the decision to utilize a cooperative agreement; II. improper planning resulted in scope expansion; III. the Bureau reimbursed RTI without validating costs; and IV. the Bureau did not disclose its plans to terminate the cooperative agreement until after we completed our fieldwork.

Johnathan Pena, a medical marketer based in Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on February 27, 2023, to time served and three years’ probation for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and honest services mail fraud, as well as a violation of the Travel Act. Pena was also ordered to forfeit $134,336.78.Pena brokered kickbacks and bribe payments to doctors in exchange for their referrals of compounded medications, durable medical equipment, and other health care goods to certain providers. Specifically, our investigation found that Pena worked as a marketer for TYY Consulting, Inc., to provide medically unnecessary compounded drug prescriptions to Precise Compounding Pharmacy that were reimbursed by health care benefit programs, including Amtrak’s plan. As a result of the scheme, Amtrak’s insurance providers were fraudulently charged approximately $22,000.

EAC OIG audited funds received by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under the Help America Vote Act, totaling $1.2 million. This included Election Security and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act grants.

We initiated a limited-scope inquiry into GPO's role in Publishing Sensitive Information after receiving GPO's January 04. 2023 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Incident Report. The focus of inquiry was to develop a timeline of the incident; understand how GPO receives information and posts the information to GovInfo; understand the aspects of the reported Privacy Incident; and analyze GPO’s role, responsibility, and processes, if any, for reviewing digitized content for PII destined for publication on GovInfo.