Charges of census fraud called unfounded

Allegations of fraud at 17 Census Bureau offices around the country are unfounded, according to a report by the Commerce Department inspector general.

A memorandum sent by Commerce Inspector General Johnnie Frazier to Census Director Kenneth Prewitt last week said while there were some shortcomings at one office in Philadelphia, the agency could not confirm allegations of fraud at any of the other offices involved.

The IG memo, however, did request more information on offices in Las Vegas and New York City's Bronx borough.

A copy of the memo, which was dated Oct. 11, was obtained Monday by the Associated Press.

In July, House Government Reform Census Subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller, R-Fla., asked Census Bureau officials to review the quality of decennial census data from 15 local census offices. Miller's request came on the heels of a subcommittee analysis suggesting that a rushed census may have compromised the accuracy of the bureau's field work.

Bureau spokesman Stephen Jost told the Associated Press the IG's preliminary findings laid to rest any questions about the quality of the census count.