Federal Reports

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 ultimately admitted to making inappropriate sexual comments to the female subordinate. We also found that the manager had been counseled by a former supervisor in 2013 for allegedly making similar comments to other employees and, consequently, had been required to take Equal Employment Opportunity training; the manager had also been counseled by a current supervisor in 2016 for the same reason.

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, when the tribe canceled all tribal government charge cards. The theft included charges for restaurants, airfare, retail purchases, food, and utility and telephone services. The charges were billed to the tribe and paid using a combination of Federal and tribal funds.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island declined prosecution. The tribal official refused our request for an interview.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Beckley VA Medical Center (Beckley), West Virginia, regarding a complainant’s allegations that delays in urological care, including kidney surgery, and an increase in a kidney lesion’s size occurred that resulted in an adverse clinical impact to a patient’s urological health. The OIG further evaluated if other Beckley patients experienced delays in urological care that resulted in adverse clinical impacts, and if Beckley lacked funding for its non-VA care programs. The OIG substantiated that the patient experienced delays in urological care, including kidney surgery, and that a kidney lesion increased in size; however, the lesion size was not within the range that necessitated immediate surgery or intervention. OIG staff found that the patient’s care was monitored by providers who discussed the patient’s symptoms with the patient and other providers. The OIG did not find that delays caused an adverse clinical impact to the patient’s urological health. The OIG also identified delays in scheduling urology consults for the Beckley Outpatient Urology Clinic and non-VA care programs. OIG staff determined that none of the reviewed patients experienced an adverse clinical impact to their urological health due to a delay in the consult process. Although a Beckley non-VA care staff member informed the patient that Beckley lacked funding for referral to non-VA care, the staff member made this statement in error, and Beckley leaders addressed and corrected the error. Beckley had sufficient funding, and providers routinely referred patients to other VA and non-VA facilities. The OIG made one recommendation related to reviewing consult management practices and ensuring consult timeliness.

This report presents the results of our audit of the Local Travel Reimbursement – Santa Ana, CA, Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) Window. The Santa Ana P&DC retail facility is in the Santa Ana District of the Pacific Area. This audit was designed to provide U.S. Postal Service management with timely information on potential financial control risks at Postal Service locations.

Quarterly Summary Memorandum for the Lead Inspector General, Department of Defense

RRB-OIG's audit determined that the RRB’s Enterprise Risk Managemetn process was not fully effective. RRB had not complied with all of the internal control requirements in OMB’s revision of OMB Circular A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control, and did not implement the ERM process agencywide.