Investigative Reports

The OIG conducted an administrative investigation that included a congressional request to look into allegations that Charmain Bogue, former executive director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Education Service, committed ethical violations arising from her spouse’s consulting work for Veterans Education Success (VES). VES is a nonprofit advocacy group that regularly had business before the Education Service. The allegations also pointed to possible incomplete financial disclosures by Ms. Bogue concerning her spouse’s consulting business. In the course of their work, investigators uncovered evidence of other potential conflicts of interest and related misconduct by Ms. Bogue.As a result of the investigation, the OIG made four findings. First, Ms. Bogue participated in Education Service matters involving VES without considering whether it raised an apparent conflict of interest and acted contrary to ethics guidance she received from her supervisors. Second, Ms. Bogue sought résumé feedback from the president of VES to aid in her search for career advancement without considering whether this raised apparent conflict of interest concerns in subsequent VES matters. VES also endorsed Ms. Bogue for presidential nominee positions. Third, although Ms. Bogue provided insufficient detail about her spouse’s business in 2019 and 2020 public financial disclosures, VA ethics attorneys had found them compliant. She remedied the subsequently identified deficiency in her 2021 disclosure. Finally, the OIG found that Ms. Bogue refused to cooperate fully in the OIG’s investigation by refusing to complete her follow-up interview. Her husband and VES president also refused to participate in OIG interviews, and the OIG lacks testimonial subpoena authority over individuals who are not VA employees. Ms. Bogue resigned from VA in January 2022 and, as a result, the OIG made no recommendations. VA concurred with the OIG’s findings.

Brian Kerr, former Building and Bridges Assistant Supervisor, pleaded guilty in New York County Supreme Court on March 23, 2022, to two misdemeanor counts to Falsify Business Records: Make False Entry. He was sentenced to a conditional discharge and ordered to pay restitution to the company in the amount of $360.23. Kerr, among others, participated in a scheme to intentionally misuse company badges and/or create counterfeit badges that he and the others fraudulently “swiped” for one another, via Amtrak’s time and attendance machines, to clock-in or out. Kerr resigned on February 21, 2022, and is ineligible for rehire.

A General Foreman based in Washington, D.C., was terminated from the company on March 12, 2022. Our investigation found that from July 14, 2021, to January 12, 2022, the former employee violated company policies by falsely claiming and accepting payment for hours he did not work while attending an in-person class and virtual classes. In addition, we found that the former employee also misused his company-owned computer to attend classes, access school websites, conduct research, and access non-work-related websites, such as YouTube, NFL Game Access, Facebook, and various other shopping sites during company time, thereby failing to attend to his work duties and responsibilities. We interviewed the employee who admitted to using his company-owned computer to attend virtual classes and to attending one class in-person during his shift. The former employee is not eligible for rehire.

We found that between 2014 and 2017, a tribal administrator embezzled $158,063.35 from a tribe through unauthorized checks and debit card purchases.

An Amtrak conductor based in Miami, Florida, was suspended from his position on February 24, 2022, for failing to report a conviction and two driver’s license suspensions related to alcohol. Our investigation found that the employee violated company policies by failing to report these actions to the company. Prior to his administrative hearing, the employee signed a waiver accepting responsibility and agreed to attend Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counseling. The employee was held out of service without pay until he was cleared by EAP to return to work. The employee served an 81-day suspension.

We did not substantiate allegations that a company or its contractors, provided BSEE false information in response to an incident of noncompliance.