Federal Reports

Our Objective(s)
To assess FHWA's policies and procedures for overseeing States' compliance with Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) requirements and tracking and monitoring CRRSAA funds.

Why This Audit
CRRSAA provided $10 billion to FHWA for Highway Infrastructure Programs (HIP) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19-related impacts. The Act required FHWA to obligate the funds by the end of fiscal year 2024. By the end of March 2025, FHWA obligated $9.78 billion in CRRSAA funds with outlays of $8.43 billion. Due to the large amount of funds and timeframe for using them, as well as other Act requirements, we initiated this audit.

What We Found
FHWA generally followed its existing Federal-aid processes to oversee compliance with CRRSAA requirements and track funds but lacked sufficient details for Special Authority provisions.
FHWA instructed its Division offices to use existing processes and developed a HIP-CRRSAA Guidance memorandum to help oversee compliance with CRRSAA requirements and track the funds.
FHWA's HIP-CRRSAA Guidance covered project eligibility requirements, but lacked sufficient details for how States should use, and Divisions should oversee, Special Authority provisions that provide funding for activities not normally eligible under the STBG program.
FHWA followed processes to determine that projects met eligibility and project agreement requirements, complied with the non-Federal share requirement, and did not incur costs prior to obligating funds.

FHWA generally follows its processes to monitor CRRSAA projects and relies on State DOTs to reconcile differences in reported expenditure amounts.
FHWA uses a risk-based approach to monitor Federal-aid highway projects, including CRRSAA-funded projects, and identify potential risks. Division offices tailored their risk assessment and monitoring approaches to each project.
In 2024, FHWA revised its Stewardship and Oversight Agreements-intended to facilitate effective and efficient program delivery and adequate oversight-due to changes in laws and regulations.
Project expenditure reports contained discrepancies between FHWA and State DOT data, but we were able to reconcile those differences with updated State DOT data. FHWA relies on the State DOTs to reconcile differences in reported expenditure amounts.

Recommendations
FHWA generally followed its existing process to oversee CRRSAA compliance, track funds, and monitor projects, so we are not making recommendations.

An Amtrak coach cleaner based in New Orleans, Louisiana, signed a civil settlement agreement on September 22, 2025, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana. The employee agreed to pay $19,132.75 in restitution and a penalty of $4,497.25 related to the fraudulent receipt of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. We found that the employee submitted an application containing false statements and information to qualify for the loan. As a result, the employee received a PPP loan in the amount of $16,452 to which she was not entitled.

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General has identified concerns regarding the installation and use of unauthorized software, specifically jiggler software, on EPA computers and networks. Commonly referred to as “mouse jigglers,” jiggler software simulates activity on a laptop, preventing the laptop from entering sleep mode and locking out its user. After running network scans in two EPA regions in November and December 2024, the Agency discovered 120 employees and contractors using jiggler software.

Summary of Findings

Our investigation found that jiggler software could bypass the Agency’s Windows Installer settings, that some of the EPA’s information technology specialists believed they were exempt from the policy, and that other EPA employees and contractors installed the software without authorization. Furthermore, we discovered inconsistencies in how quickly the regional offices acted to remove the jiggler software after it was detected. The installation and use of unauthorized software on EPA computers and networks represent critical cybersecurity risks and ethics violations for the Agency.

A yardmaster based in Chicago, Illinois, resigned from her position on September 20, 2025, prior to her administrative hearing. We found that the former employee violated company policies by secretly recording a conversation she had with her supervisor without his consent or knowledge. The former employee is not eligible for rehire.

The U.S. Postal Service’s mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews delivery operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback in furtherance of this mission. 

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of delivery operations and property conditions at the Fremont Administrative Post Office (APO) in Fremont, NE. The Fremont APO is in the Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota District of the Central Area and serves about 31,176 people in ZIP Code 68025, which is considered a predominantly urban area (see Figure 1). Specifically, 28,262 (90.7 percent) live in urban communities and 2,914 (9.3 percent) live in rural communities.

The U.S. Postal Service needs effective and productive operations to fulfill its mission of providing prompt, reliable, and affordable mail service to the American public. It has a vast transportation network that moves mail and equipment among approximately 315 processing facilities and 31,200 post offices, stations, and branches. The Postal Service is transforming its processing and logistics networks to become more scalable, reliable, visible, efficient, automated, and digitally integrated. This includes modernizing operating plans and aligning the workforce; leveraging emerging technologies to provide world-class visibility and tracking of mail and packages in near real time; and optimizing the surface and air transportation network. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General reviews the efficiency of mail processing operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback to further the Postal Service’s mission. 

The U.S. Postal Service’s mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to over 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General reviews delivery operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback in furtherance of this mission. 

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of delivery operations and property conditions at the Benson Station in Omaha, NE. The Benson Station is in the Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota District of the Central Area and serves about 36,809 people in ZIP Code 68104, which is considered a predominantly urban community.