The Federal Eye: Oversight


Posted at 03:04 PM ET, 02/28/2012

GAO: Overlapping government programs cost billions
By Ed O'Keefe
FEDERAL EYE | Report cites dozens of examples of federal overlap, duplication and mismanagement that could easily be fixed.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  03:04 PM ET, 02/28/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Budget, Congress, Oversight

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 02/27/2012

Postal regulator traveling again despite Senate probe
By Ed O'Keefe
Ruth Goldway is on a two-week trip to Switzerland despite a Senate inquiry into her travel.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  12:00 PM ET, 02/27/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Postal Service, Oversight

Posted at 06:15 AM ET, 02/27/2012

GAO: Military too slow to aid whistleblowers
By Lisa Rein
Whistleblowers in the military aren’t getting enough protection against reprisals, which hurts the nation’s armed services, a GAO report says.

By Lisa Rein  |  06:15 AM ET, 02/27/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Military, Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/09/2012

Senator to probe Postal Regulatory Commission travel schedule
By Ed O'Keefe
A leading Democratic senator asks for more details on the travel of the nation’s top postal regulator, following a Washington Post investigation.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 02/09/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Postal Service

Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 02/08/2012

Where are all the watchdogs?
By Ed O'Keefe
A new database is tracking the vacant inspector general positions across the government — with some vacant for more than 1,000 days.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  10:15 AM ET, 02/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Revolving Door

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 01/18/2012

SEC Inspector General David Kotz’s departure adds to watchdog vacancies
By Ed O'Keefe
Latest departure of an inspector general leaves yet another important watchdog role unfilled.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 01/18/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Revolving Door

Posted at 05:00 PM ET, 01/17/2012

Darrell Issa plans hearing on Occupy D.C.’s risk to public safety
By Ed O'Keefe
Lawmakers on a committee chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa plans to hold a hearing next week to probe public health and safety concerns at the encampment.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  05:00 PM ET, 01/17/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Congress, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 01/13/2012

Should elections be held on weekends?
By Ed O'Keefe
The conclusions in a new government report might surprise you.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 01/13/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 03:21 PM ET, 01/10/2012

Darrell Issa seeks answers on Occupy D.C. from Park Service
By Ed O'Keefe
The GOP lawmaker says the Park Service hasn’t been forthcoming about the costs of the four months of protests.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  03:21 PM ET, 01/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Congress, Agencies and Departments, Oversight

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 12/20/2011

How many .gov sites exist? Thousands.
By Ed O'Keefe
FEDERAL EYE | A new report finds that many federal Web sites and addresses are inactive.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  12:30 PM ET, 12/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Agencies and Departments

Posted at 01:10 PM ET, 12/14/2011

Hearing exposes disarray at nuclear agency
By Ed O'Keefe
FEDERAL EYE | Four commissioners and the agency chairman air their grievances before a House committee.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  01:10 PM ET, 12/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Agencies and Departments, Congress, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 12/14/2011

Nuclear agency chief slammed in new report
By Ed O'Keefe
House GOP report claims disagreements between commissioners are having ‘corrosive effect’ on the agency.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 12/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 08:00 PM ET, 12/12/2011

Dispute between Nuclear Regulatory Commission members about ‘organizational issues,’ White House says
By Ed O'Keefe
Obama administration declines to send witnesses to a House hearing on tensions at the nuclear safety agency.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  08:00 PM ET, 12/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Agencies and Departments, Congress, Oversight

Posted at 03:40 PM ET, 11/10/2011

Report: IRS Austin plane crash handled appropriately
By Ed O'Keefe
A new watchdog report says the agency prepared for and responded well to the 2010 plane crash at its Austin office.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  03:40 PM ET, 11/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Workplace Issues, Agencies and Departments

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2011

FBI J. Edgar Hoover Building ‘deterioriating,’ report says
By Ed O'Keefe
The FBI wants out of its current headquarters, but the alternatives are costly.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Agencies and Departments

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/02/2011

Energy Department couldn’t manage stimulus money, watchdog says
By Ed O'Keefe
Speaking to Congress for first time since the Solyndra scandal broke, inspector general says billions of stimulus dollars taxed the department.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/02/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Congress, Oversight, Tracking the Stimulus

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 10/25/2011

GSA official gets 2 years in prison for kickback scheme
By Ed O'Keefe
Eric Minor’s conviction was part of a five-year investigation into the abuse of government-issued charge cards.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  12:00 PM ET, 10/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Agencies and Departments, Oversight

Posted at 11:55 AM ET, 10/20/2011

Education tax credit mistakenly claimed by millions, report says
By Ed O'Keefe
FEDERAL EYE | The IRS disputes the conclusions of a new federal watchdog report that says many people incorrectly took advantage of an education tax credit.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  11:55 AM ET, 10/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Tracking the Stimulus

Posted at 06:45 PM ET, 10/14/2011

Committee probes alleged loan fraud against vets
By Steve Vogel
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will investigate whethe lending institutions have cheated veterans and taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars by charging illegal fees in home refinancing loans.

By Steve Vogel  |  06:45 PM ET, 10/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Military, Oversight, Congress

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2011

Getting ready for the big switch in Iraq
By Ed O'Keefe
The State Department and its civilian workforce are slated to take over most U.S. operations in Iraq at the turn of the year.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Congress

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/29/2011

Harassment complaints on the rise on Capitol Hill
By Ed O'Keefe
A new report also faults Congress for exempting itself from key provisions of national workplace laws.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Congress, Oversight, Workplace Issues

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/28/2011

Obama causing backlog in clemency petitions, report says
By Ed O'Keefe
Thousands of criminals are awaiting a final decision on whether they’ll have sentences tossed out or commuted.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/28/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/27/2011

Payments to dead federal retirees over, agency says
By Ed O’Keefe and Lisa Rein
FEDERAL EYE | Office of Personnel Management says it’s vigorously working to recoup more improper payments.

By Ed O’Keefe and Lisa Rein  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Workplace Issues, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/26/2011

Federal watchdogs a good bargain, report says
By Ed O'Keefe
The government’s more than five dozen inspectors general identify billions of dollars in potential savings.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 09/23/2011

Another bite of the muffin
By Ed O'Keefe
Why both Hilton Hotels and a federal watchdog are correct in their pricing of baked goods and other conference expenses.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  04:30 PM ET, 09/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Agencies and Departments

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/23/2011

Dead federal retirees paid $120 million yearly, report says
By Ed O'Keefe
The federal government pays out millions of dollars to dead people each year — including deceased retired federal workers, according to a new report.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Workplace Issues

Posted at 01:45 PM ET, 09/22/2011

No more $16 muffins for you!
By Ed O'Keefe
The Obama administration is ordering a government-wide review of conferences after an audit of Justice Department expenses found extravagant and wasteful spending.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  01:45 PM ET, 09/22/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Budget

Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 09/09/2011

Report: FBI eliminates a DNA backlog
By Ed O'Keefe
The agency’s processing of samples from convicted federal offenders, arrestees and criminal detainees is now at a “manageable monthly workload.”

By Ed O'Keefe  |  10:15 AM ET, 09/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Oversight, Agencies and Departments

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/08/2011

Illegal cellphone use by federal prisoners on the rise  
By Ed O'Keefe
The number of cellphones smuggled into federal prisons has more than tripled in the past three years, posing a growing security risk, according to a new report.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/08/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/07/2011

Some stimulus money isn’t being spent as fast as promised, report says
By Ed O'Keefe
Goals set by the White House to quickly stimulate the economy are running up against economic realities on the ground, according to a new watchdog report.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Tracking the Stimulus, Oversight

Posted at 06:43 PM ET, 05/23/2011

Report: Stimulus recipients owe $750 million in taxes
By Ed O'Keefe
Companies and nonprofits reaping billions from the economic stimulus owe hundreds of millions in unpaid taxes, a new report says.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:43 PM ET, 05/23/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Tracking the Stimulus, Contracting, Oversight

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 05/12/2011

White House staffing up to deal with GOP oversight
By Ed O'Keefe
A veteran Democratic Party campaign operative is joining the West Wing press shop to deal with Congressional inquiries.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  07:00 AM ET, 05/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Revolving Door, Administration

Posted at 01:40 PM ET, 04/13/2011

TSA, Congress vow to review pat-down of 6-year-old girl
By Ed O'Keefe
The review comes amid an uproar over video of a TSA screener giving an enhanced pat-down to a 6-year-old girl.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  01:40 PM ET, 04/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Agencies and Departments, Oversight

Posted at 02:20 PM ET, 03/14/2011

Government doctor could be fired for politicking
By Ed O'Keefe
A federal personnel panel has ordered the removal of a Department of Veterans Affairs doctor for engaging in political activities while on the job at an Arizona hospital.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  02:20 PM ET, 03/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Workplace Issues, Oversight

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 03/01/2011

Government overlap costs taxpayers billions, GAO reports
By Ed O'Keefe
According to a Government Accountability Office report, the U.S. government has more than 100 programs dealing with surface transportation issues, 82 monitoring teacher quality and 80 for economic development. Five work to ensure the federal government uses less gasoline.

By Ed O'Keefe  |  06:00 AM ET, 03/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Eye Opener, Oversight, Turf War