Investigative Reports

The U.S. AbilityOne Commission (AbilityOne) Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an investigation of employee conduct in response to a complaint received.

The GPO OIG Investigations Division investigated GPO-issued cell phones, comparing application data against GPO policy, particularly Section 7, Subsection C, paragraphs 6 and 14 of GPO Directive 825.29E on Internet and Email Policy.

Investigative Summary 24-0008

The investigation objectives were to determine whether an ARC grantee falsified certain application and reporting requirements and to determine whether program funds were managed in accordance with ARC and federal grant requirements.

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General is issuing this report to Notify the Agency of concerns identified during a review of Inflation Reduction Act grants. The concerns relate to an EPA policy that applies to all Agency subawards, not just to Inflation Reduction Act subawards.

Summary of Findings

The OIG has identified concerns regarding the terms and conditions listed within the revised EPA Subaward Policy, commonly referred to as the Subaward Policy, Amended Grants Policy Issuance (GPI) 16-01, effective October 1, 2024. The Subaward Policy’s statements regarding subrecipient access to information about mandatory disclosure requirements and whistleblower protections and regarding the OIG’s right to access records are inconsistent, incomplete, and not easily navigable.

Our investigation determined that an Amtrak Supervisor based in New York violated company policies by regularly leaving work after clocking in to meet his girlfriend at two hotels in New York City. The supervisor was unreachable when project managers and other supervisors tried to contact him during emergency situations. After his administrative hearing, the employee was terminated on May 6, 2025. He is not eligible for rehire.

We found that a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) employee sexually harassed student-athletes on the Haskell Indian Nations University Women’s Basketball Team. 

Investigative Summary 24-0001

The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General conducted an administrative investigation into alleged ethics violations by Tracy Skala, former deputy director of the Orlando VA Medical Center. Ms. Skala’s son, who had a different last name, was a former VA employee who subsequently worked for a software development company with a mobile wayfinding application that could help veterans navigate VA facilities on their smartphones. Ms. Skala did not disclose their relationship when her son attended an April 6, 2023, meeting of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 Executive Leadership Board. VISN 8 serves more than 1.4 million veterans. During the presentation and at many other times, Ms. Skala encouraged VISN leaders and a subordinate in her medical facility to approve the application for use, knowing her son could receive bonus pay as a percentage of a new VA contract. A VISN 8 executive who learned of their relationship promptly alerted the OIG.

The investigation found that Ms. Skala violated ethics rules by using her position to promote procurement of software from her son’s employer. Her participation in matters involving her son’s employer was an apparent conflict of interest. The OIG also noted that Ms. Skala, who retired from VA in April 2024, informed VA that she received a critical skills incentive, but VA had not initiated the process to recover any debt owed from her retiring before the requisite term of service. 

Due to Ms. Skala’s retirement, the OIG did not make recommendations regarding her conduct. VA concurred, or concurred in principle, with the OIG’s three recommendations relating to identifying potential conflicts before vendor presentations and improving critical skill incentive recoupment processes. VA provided acceptable action plans to implement the OIG recommendations and VA’s progress will be monitored until sufficient documentation has been received to close them as implemented.

Investigative Summary 22-0028