Oversight

GovExec Daily: The Lawyer, the Whistleblowers and $550M in Social Security Fraud

Damian Paletta, Brian Lazarte and James Lee Hernandez from "The Big Conn" join the podcast to discuss the story of the slow pace of government investigations, the people affected and the man at the center of a huge fraud case at SSA.

Management

Unemployment Insurance Has Been Added to GAO's 'High Risk' List

The government watchdog says more than $78 billion in improper unemployment insurance payments were made in fiscal year 2021, and cited fraud, poor customer service, inequitable access, legacy tech and staffing shortages as key drivers of failure.

Special Report Oversight

Two Years of COVID-19 Oversight: A Look Back

The CARES Act of 2020 created three pandemic-related oversight entities, and our series will examine their successes and failures as well as their challenges and goals moving forward.

Special Report Oversight

The Inspectors General COVID Committee Has an ‘Enormous Responsibility'

“We've really changed the way we as federal IGs do business,” says Michael Horowitz, Justice Department inspector general and chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.

Oversight

There's No Final Number Yet for Pandemic Fraud, Oversight Leaders Tell Congress

Total fraud levels in pandemic relief programs are upwards of $100 billion, but getting a clear estimate is made difficult by data gaps and ongoing fraud recovery efforts, officials said at a Senate hearing.

Oversight

Rooting out Fraud in Government Programs

Machine-learning helps spot fraud, waste and abuse because it can not only automatically check massive amounts of data for signs of sketchy activity but also improve over time.

Oversight

We All Should Be Rooting for the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force

Identifying the people and places left behind in the current economy is critical.

Management

Agencies Must Address Billions Lost Through Erroneous Payments

Total improper payments have steadily increased since 2013 by $100 billion, from $106 billion to $206 billion.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: The Importance of Protecting Whistleblowers

The Government Accountability Project’s Dana Gold joins the podcast to discuss new plans to protect feds, contractors and grantees who blow the whistle.

Oversight

$1.2T Infrastructure Plan Offers Lucrative Target for Fraud

Research shows there are ways to fight fraud, but the bill contains very little language aimed at doing so.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: Report Finds GSA Failed to Remove Hazardous Materials from Facility For Years

Erich Wagner joins the podcast to discuss an OSC documenting a whistleblower’s allegations.

Oversight

GSA Failed to Remove Asbestos, Arsenic, Explosives From Missouri Facility for Decades, Report Finds

GSA officials knew about hazardous materials at a former munitions plant turned federal office building but declined to notify employees and other agency tenants or restrict access to impacted areas, substantiating a whistleblower’s allegations.

Oversight

To Combat Fraud, Colleges and Universities Must Report Student Veteran Outcome Data

Veterans continually bear the brunt of deceptive advertising and fraud from schools seeking to exploit them for their hard-earned GI Bill benefits.

Management

What I Learned Helping Lead Oversight of $5 Trillion in Pandemic Relief

Large scale identity theft-based fraud in unemployment assistance stunned many, even those who fight fraud for a living.

Oversight

Watchdog Suggests 112 New Actions to Enhance Government Savings and Efficiency 

Taxpayer services, prison staffing and infectious disease modeling are some of the areas the Government Accountability Office listed as ripe for reforms. 

Management

Senator: Pandemic Makes Anti-Fraud Law More Important Than Ever

The Justice Department, Congress and whistleblowers must “remain very vigilant” due to the trillions of dollars spent in pandemic relief, said the senator. 

Defense

Intel Agency Worker Pushed His Own Drone Company, Report Details

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency inspector general found one of its employees accessed classified and proprietary data, trying to cheat competitors.