Federal Reports

Amtrak (the company) contracted with the independent public accounting firm of Ernst& Young LLP to audit its consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year then ended, September 30, 2023, and to provide a report on internal control over financial reporting and compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts and grant agreements, and other matters, which they issued on December 20, 2023.1 Because the company receives federal financial assistance, it must obtain an audit performed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards. The contract also required Ernst & Young to perform a Single Audit of the company’s federal financial assistance for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, in accordance with the audit requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards(Uniform Guidance). The objective of the Single Audit was to test internal control over compliance with major federal program award requirements and determine whether the company complied with the laws, regulations, and provisions of contracts or grant agreements that may have a direct and material effect on its major federal programs.Major federal programs are those with the larger and higher‐risk expenditures, as determined using the Uniform Guidance. In fiscal year 2023, the company had two such programs: the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Railroad Passenger Corporation Grants and Federal‐State Partnership for State of Good Repair programs.On June 14, 2024, Ernst & Young issued an unmodified compliance opinion on the major federal programs it reviewed, concluding that “Amtrak complied, in all material respects, with the compliance requirements . . . that could have a direct and material effect on its major federal programs” for the period covered by its report.2 Ernst & Young identified, however, two significant deficiencies3 in the company’s internal control over compliance. The first was a longstanding finding in the area of Equipment and Real Property Management for the DOT National Railroad Passenger Corporation Grants, and the second was a new finding related to preparation and maintenance of the equipment population. Ernst & Young also identified other deficiencies in internal control over compliance that it determined did not rise to the level of a significant deficiency, which it communicated to the company on June 14, 2024.As required by the Inspector General Act of 1978, we monitored the audit activities of Ernst & Young to help ensure audit quality and compliance with auditing standards. Our review disclosed no instances in which Ernst & Young did not comply, in all material respects, with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards and Uniform Guidance requirements.We monitored Ernst & Young’s audit activities by attending key meetings and reviewing its reports, audit plans, detailed audit testing results, summary workpapers, audit quality controls, auditor independence, and qualifications. At selected field locations, we also observed Ernst & Young’s testing of the company’s internal controls and compliance for its management of equipment and real property.Our monitoring activities, as differentiated from an audit in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards, were not intended to enable us to express an audit opinion. Therefore, we do not express an opinion on compliance for the major program, conclusions about the effectiveness of internal control over compliance, or whether the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards is fairly stated. Ernst & Young is responsible for its report dated June 14, 2024, and the conclusions expressed in the report.

The objectives of our audit were to determine whether the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (1) claimed allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs, and (2) met performance requirements of the grants.To address this objective, we reviewed $1,676,515.45 in claimed costs and 65 grant award performance progress reports that PRDNER submitted. Overall, we found the following:I. PRDNER claimed costs that were generally allowable, allocable, and reasonable but did not comply with internal and federal regulations. II. PRDNER continues to encounter challenges in meeting the performance requirements of operational awards.

To see our report, click on the link below

We found that a DOI employee violated Department policy and ethics standards by accessing records in a secure Government database.

We found that a former FWS employee misused their Government travel credit card for personal expenses totaling over $37,000.

ICE officers did not always perform risk classification assessments to ensure they appropriately detained or released noncitizens held in ICE custody. According to a 2012 email message from the Executive Associate Director, ICE officers are responsible for completing the risk classification assessment for detained noncitizens unless they are subject to mandatory detention or removal from the United States within 5 days. However, in FY 2023, ICE officers did not conduct a risk assessment for 79,977 (33 percent) of 244,376 detained noncitizens. This noncompletion rate was higher in FY 2022, when ICE did not conduct risk classification assessment for 129,250 (43 percent) of 302,758 detained noncitizens.