Federal Reports

The objective of our inspection was to determine (1) whether selected institutions receiving funds under the Institutional Portion of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) met public reporting requirements and (2) the reported usage of the Institutional Portion of HEERF by selected institutions.We determined that 81 of the 100 institutions included in our sample complied with Institutional Portion reporting requirements.We were unable to locate Institutional Portion reports anywhere on the websites associated with 19 of the 100 (19 percent) institutions included in our sample.

The OIG investigated allegations that a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employee working at a refuge stole copper wiring and a bulldozer.We found that the employee removed copper from the former military facilities at the refuge and sold it for less than $5,000 during the last 10 years. We did not find evidence that the employee converted a Government-owned bulldozer for personal use or financial gain.We presented our interim findings to the FWS, and the employee was subsequently removed from Federal service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined prosecution.

In accordance with our statutory authority Public Law (P.L.) 109-SS, the USCP Office of Inspector General (OIG) began a review of the events surrounding the takeover of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Our objectives for this review were to determine if the Department (1) established adequate measures for ensuring the safety and security of the Capitol Complex as well as Members of Congress, (2) established adequate internal controls and processes for ensuring compliance with Department policies, and (3) complied with applicable policies and procedures as well as applicable laws and regulations. The scope included controls, processes, and operations surrounding the security measures prior to the planned demonstrations and response during the takeover of the Capitol building.

This report contains information about recommendations from the OIG's audits, evaluations, reviews, and other reports that the OIG had not closed as of the specified date because it had not determined that the Department of Justice had fully implemented them. The list omits information that the Department of Justice determined to be limited official use or classified, and therefore unsuitable for public release.The status of each recommendation was accurate as of the specified date and is subject to change. Specifically, a recommendation identified as not closed as of the specified date may subsequently have been closed.

The OIG examined whether the VHA had effective procedures for (1) purchasing, (2) inventorying, and (3) tracking biologic implants such as skin substitutes and corneal or dental implants. The OIG found deficiencies in all three areas at four medical facilities it visited.The audit team determined that purchasing agents did not always record implant purchases properly or use the appropriate funds. The purchasing agents did not record 2,931 of 10,305 purchased biologic implants in the appropriate system. Instead, agents documented the implants in various local spreadsheets, databases, and third party systems. Purchasing agents sometimes improperly used logistics funds instead of prosthetic funds, which makes it difficult for VHA to fully account for biologic implant spending and effectively budget or use funds for other purposes.The OIG found that due to inadequate guidance, the facilities visited had an inaccurate inventory of biologic implants, did not use a standardized system, and did not consistently review inventory on hand. At the four facilities visited, staff could not locate 714 biologic implants in inventory, valued at almost $1.1 million. The audit team also found 288 unrecorded additional items, valued at almost $433,000, in storage locations. Poor inventory management can jeopardize prompt care, as medical providers may need to delay or cancel procedures if implants are unavailable.Finally, the facilities visited failed to track at least 45 percent of implants reported as used from October 2017 through March 2019. Further, VHA did not designate responsibility for overseeing tracking, develop a national policy on how facilities should track biologic implants, or have a standard tracking system that meets accreditation requirements. Effective tracking is needed for facilities to notify veterans if their implants are recalled by the manufacturers.VHA concurred with the OIG’s 11 recommendations to improve how it purchases, inventories, and tracks biologic implants.