Federal Reports

An Amtrak Maintenance of Way Equipment Repairman, based in Rensselaer, New York, violated company policy by regularly disabling the Lytx camera in his company-owned vehicle by replacing a functioning fuse in the camera with a blown one.The repairman admitted to disabling the camera, as well as covering the camera with a towel on a regular basis during the entire duration of his overnight shifts. During our interview with the employee, we also found inappropriate photographs on his company-owned mobile device. The employee resigned in lieu of his disciplinary hearing on March 1, 2023.

For our final report on our audit of the First Responder Network Authority’s (FirstNet Authority’s) oversight of its first two reinvestment task orders (TOs), our objective was to determine whether FirstNet Authority’s process for reinvesting fee payments is effective and consistent with established practices, procedures, and regulations. We found that I. FirstNet Authority did not have sufficient performance measurements in the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan to adequately assess contractor performance for its first two reinvestment TOs; II. FirstNet Authority did not perform independent verification of contractor performance regarding deployables; III. FirstNet Authority contracting officer’s representatives relied on Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) Program Management Office personnel that are not certified or formally appointed to conduct contract monitoring; and IV. FirstNet Authority’s Senior Management Council reviews were not conducted in a transparent manner for the NPSBN reinvestment TOs.

This report transmits the results of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Special Review of standard operating procedures related to coordination with non-FECA law enforcement inquiries. This special review was selected based on coordination challenges identified by external agency law enforcement personnel and in accordance with Section ( 4) of the Inspector General Act of 197 8, as amended.

The EPA’s ineffective residential wood heater program puts human health and the environment at risk for exposure to dangerous fine-particulate-matter pollution by allowing sales of wood heaters that may not meet emission standards.