WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The America First Legal, a civil rights organization, issued the following news release: America First Legal (AFL) has filed a request for investigation with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) into the Department of Justice's (DOJ) failure to prosecute pro-Hamas violence due to improper considerations or bias. Since January 2021, the Department has repeatedly demonstrated that it is capable of quickly mobilizing investigative and prosecutorial resources to address  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- American Oversight issued the following news: Former President Trump has consistently sought to delay or evade accountability for his actions -- including his effort to overturn the 2020 election. In an effort to postpone trial in his federal election interference case until after this year's election, Trump's legal team appealed a recent ruling that he is not entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution. But a brief filed by American Oversight last week has -- as many   more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Jan. 3 -- The American Medical Group Association issued the following news release on Jan. 2, 2023: AMGA today objected to the proposed overly punitive approach to policing information blocking requirements in regulations proposed by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In a letter to the agencies, AMGA stated that providers will face penalties disproportionate to the potential harm caused by withholding or bl  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 -- Kathryn M. Mellouk, Associate Vice President for Research Compliance, Research Integrity Officer, Boston University, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 19, 2023, and posted on Dec. 20, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of Boston University in response to the Notic  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Jan. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California issued the following news release: A federal grand jury has indicted two men on federal fraud charges that allege a double-booking, bait-and-switch scam run through online property rental platforms - primarily Airbnb - that brought in more than $8.5 million through misleading listings and fraudulently canceling reservations, which included discrimination against Black people, the Justice Depart  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12040) on Jan. 3, 2024. The white paper was written by Christina L. Arabia, security assistance, security cooperation and global arms trade analyst, and Andrew S. Bowen and Cory Welt, Russian and European affairs specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine The United States has been a leading provider of security assistance to Ukraine, particularly since Ru  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47788) on Oct. 18, 2023, entitled "Section 1071 - Small Business Lending Data Collection and Reporting:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Selected Data Collection Issues Under Section 1071 Prior to Section 1071 implementation, various types of lenders collected and reported small business data under different programs, as listed in the following examples: * To comply with mission-based requ  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission Inspector General issued the following semiannual report to Congress from April 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, on Nov. 30, 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * MESSAGE FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL I am pleased to submit the Semiannual Report to Congress for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). This report details the work of the OIG in the oversight of the CPSC for the second half o  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-O-02) on Jan. 5, 2024, entitled "Top Management and Performance Challenges for Fiscal 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * TO: Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Chair Peter A. Feldman, Commissioner Richard L. Trumka, Commissioner Mary T. Boyle, Commissioner FROM: Christopher W. Dentel, Inspector General SUBJECT: Top Management and Performance Challenges for Fiscal Year 2024 In acc  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on Jan. 4, 2024: * * * Border Patrol agents attempt to rescue * * * On Wednesday, October 10, 2023, at approximately 11:20 a.m., Texas National Guard personnel observed a large group of suspected migrants crossing the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas. A soldier with the Texas National Guard advised U.S. Border Patrol agents via service radio that several migrants   more

LAREDO, Texas, Dec. 29 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division issued the following news release: A 36-year-old Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer previously charged with bribery and drug trafficking has now also been indicted for illegally smuggling four undocumented aliens into the United States, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: In late December, President Joe Biden proclaimed January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and urged every American to learn how to identify signs of trafficking. The Defense Department continues its efforts to prevent and eradicate this horrific crime. Human trafficking deprives millions of people worldwide of their freedom. Through innovative training and resources, the Defense Department Combating T  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Jan. 3 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: WASHINGTON - In late December, President Joe Biden proclaimed January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and urged every American to learn how to identify signs of trafficking. The Defense Department continues its efforts to prevent and eradicate this horrific crime. Human trafficking deprives millions of people worldwi  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On November 8, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentenced Daniel Maquindang, a former employee of Shimmick Construction Co., Inc., to time served, 4 years of supervised release, $167,038.37 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment. In July 2022, Maquindang pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud.  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On October 30, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland sentenced Supreme Jones, a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, to 5 years of probation and a $50 special assessment. On the same date, Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of entering an aircraft or airport security area in violation of security requiremen  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On November 7, 2023, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky filed an information charging Morgan J. Wiljanen with unlawfully operating an air common carrier while under the influence of alcohol. The information states that on or around March 21, 2023, Wiljanen was under the influence of alcohol while piloting Air Evac Flight  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On October 23, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, James Sisson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. In April 2023, Sisson was charged along with 10 other individuals and 3 companies for their involvement in a scheme to disable the emissions controls on hundreds of semi-trucks. Tamperin  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On November 13, 2023, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan filed an information charging Bruce F. Israel, former vice president and part-owner of an asphalt paving company, with conspiring to commit bid-rigging. According to the information, as early as March 2013 until at least November 2018, Israel entered into and engag  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On October 22, 2023, Joseph Emerson, an off-duty commercial pilot, was arrested after attempting to shut down the engines of an in-flight passenger plane. According to court documents, Port of Portland police officers responded to a report of inbound aircraft that had diverted from its route between Everett, Washington, and San Francisco to   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Jan. 4, 2024, entitled "OIG Review of FAA's Acquisition and Fiscal Law Division:" * * * From: Nelda Z. Smith, Assistant Inspector General for Aviation Audits To: Director, Audit and Evaluation The Office of Inspector General (OIG) maintains a hotline for receiving allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement affecting U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) programs or operations. OI  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), on behalf of the Health and Oversight subcommittee Republicans, wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf regarding h  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The Electronic Privacy Information Center has issued a public comment to the Federal Trade Commission. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 21, 2023. The comment was signed by Jake Wiener, Counsel; Chris Frascella, Counsel; and John Davisson, Director of Litigation and Senior Counsel. The comment, on Docket No. FTC-2023-0070-0001, was sent to Chair Lina M. Khan; and Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. * * * By notice published November 21, 2  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following memorandum (No. 24-N-0013) on Dec. 27, 2023, entitled "Preventing Fraud, Waste and Abuse Within the Agency's Clean School Bus Program." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FROM: Jason Abend, Assistant Inspector General, Office of Investigations TO: Joseph Goffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation Purpose: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Off  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following 19-page report (No. 24-P-0011) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "The Agency Took Additional Actions to Strengthen Controls to Account for and Secure Laptops." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance Why We Did This Audit To accomplish this objective: We performed this audit to determine whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters and select regions have sufficient internal con  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following 16-page report (No. 24-P-0012) on Dec. 27, 2023, entitled "Clean School Bus Program Could Be Impacted by Utility Delays." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance Why We Did This Audit To accomplish this objective: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to determine whether potential supply chain or production delays could impact the EPA's  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Following U.S. Senator Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) continued urging, Biden's Small Business Administration (SBA) is finally referring default COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to the Treasury to recover billions of taxpayer dollars.  "2024 is already bringing new opportunities for accountability at Biden's mismanaged SBA! After nearly a year of oversight, the ag  more

TAMPA, Florida, Jan. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Hospital Inc. (Moffitt), a non-profit cancer treatment and research center based in Tampa, Florida, has agreed to pay $19,564,743 to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act for improper claims submitted to federal healthcare programs for certain patient care items and services provided during research stu  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: Problems with workforce retention, disorganized mail processing, and slow delivery in mountain communities found in new report WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Representative Brittany Pettersen, along with Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse sent a letter urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General DeJoy to take immediate action to resolve persisten  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association, Chicago, Illinois, has issued a public comment on behalf of its 29 member companies to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 20, 2023. The comment was on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001. The companies are AdvancedMD, Allscripts, Altera Digital Health, Athenahealth, BestNotes, Computer Programs and Systems Inc., CureMD, eClinicalWorks, Elekta, EndoSoft, Epic, Experity,   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The House on Dec. 29, 2023, published 79 executive communications from the Executive Branch: * * * EC-2629. A letter from the General Counsel, U.S. Government Accountability Office, transmitting the Office's Fiscal Year 2020 Antideficiency Act Reports Compilation, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1351; Public Law 97-258, Sept. 13, 1982; (96 Stat. 927) and 31 U.S.C. 1517(b); Public Law 97-258, Sept. 13, 1982 (as amended by Public Law 108-447, div. G, title I, Sec. 1401(b)); (118 Stat  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 -- The House on Dec. 29, 2023, published 91 executive communications involving regulations that were published in the Federal Register: * * * EC-2630. A letter from the Administrator, Fair Trade Practices Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard; List of Bioengineered Foods [Doc. No.: AMS-FTPP-20-0057] (RIN: 0581- AD95) received December 11, 2023, pursuant t  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: LAREDO, Texas -- A Texas woman pleaded guilty to making false statements related to health care matters following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2023-OE-0001a) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Fiscal Year 2023 Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Penetration Test Evaluation Report:" * * * We have completed our fiscal year (FY) 2023 Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) penetration test and vulnerability assessment. The objective of this evaluation was to test and verify   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-BO-0001) on Dec. 18, 2023, entitled "Opportunities Exist To Improve HUD's FHA Resource Center's Routing of Housing Discrimination Inquiries." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Sarah J. Edelman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing, HU From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, GA Subject: Opportunities Exist To Improve HUD's FHA   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A Florida man and woman were sentenced for their roles in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud Medicare by billing over $93 million for home health therapy services that were never rendered. Karel Felipe, 42, of Miami Shores, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Tamara Quicutis, 54, of Hialeah, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison. The court also ordered forfeiture of fraud  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute Hospital Inc. (Moffitt), a non-profit cancer treatment and research center based in Tampa, Florida, has agreed to pay $19,564,743 to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act for improper claims submitted to federal healthcare programs for certain patient care items and services provided during research studies that were not eligible for reimburs  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Atlantic Home Health Care LLC (AHH), a home health care agency operating in Arizona and eight other states, has agreed to pay $9,990,944 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP or the Energy Program), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of De  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Jan. 4, 2024: A Texas woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a scheme to illegally transport hundreds of foreign nationals within the United States and conspiracy to launder proceeds of illicit human smuggling. According to court documents, Erminia Serrano Piedra, aka Irma and Boss Lady, 32, led a human smuggling organization that facilitated the unlawful transportation and movement of hundreds of mig  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-020) on Jan. 4, 2024, regarding the U.S. Department of Justice Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * COMMENTARY AND SUMMARY Objectives Pursuant to Section 304(a) of the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, as expanded by Section 405(b) of the Government Management Reform Act of 1994, the Department of Justice (Department) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) contr  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following financial audit report (No. 24-019) on Jan. 4, 2024, entitled "Audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * COMMENTARY AND SUMMARY Objectives In support of the Department of Justice's annual financial statements audit, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) contracted with an independent auditor to perform an audit of the Federal Bureau of Inves  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following investigative summary (No. 24-021) on Jan. 2, 2024, entitled "Finding of Misconduct by an FBI Ex-Acting Deputy Assistant Director for Harassing a Subordinate in Violation of the Department's Zero Tolerance Policy on Harassment and FBI Policy and Engaging in Unprofessional Conduct on Duty in Violation of FBI Policy." * * * The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated an investigation afte  more

ALBANY, New York, Jan. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release: William Taylor, age 33, and Patricia Clarke, age 27, both of Jamaica, New York, pled guilty today to mail and wire fraud conspiracy. Taylor also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of I  more

ALBANY, New York, Jan. 4 -- The New York State Association of Counties issued the following news release: Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus began his term as President of the NYS County Executives' Association (NYSCEA) today. Neuhaus replaces the Association's outgoing president Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. NYSCEA is an affiliate of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and represents the 19 counties that have county executives as their chief elected official. These   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: LAREDO, Texas -- A Texas woman pleaded guilty for her role in a scheme to illegally transport hundreds of foreign nationals within the United States and conspiracy to launder proceeds of illicit human smuggling following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and federal and state law enforcement partners. According to court docum  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: DENVER--U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen joined U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, as well as Representative Joe Neguse in a letter urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General DeJoy to take immediate action to resolve persistent delivery issues across Colorado. The letter comes in response to a USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit of 13 Colorado   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 -- Soumi Saha, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Premier Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 18, 2023, and posted on Dec. 20, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Secretary Xavier Becerra. * * * Premier Inc. appreciates the opportunity to submit comments on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notice with reque  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced the "College Admissions Accountability Act" on Dec. 6, 2023. The text of the bill was released on Jan. 3. H.R. 6615. A bill to establish the Office of the Special Inspector General for Unlawful Discrimination in Higher Education within the Department of Education; to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., Michael Waltz, R-Fla., and Erin Houchin, R-Ind. * * * SECTION 1. SHORT   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (TNSres) -- The Military Officers Association of America issued the following news: By Karen Ruedisueli A report highlighting unfilled medical billets and access-to-care challenges across the military health care system provides new data for MOAA's ongoing advocacy efforts on behalf of your service-earned health benefit. The management advisory issued by the DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlights several trouble spots, supported by at least seven hotline complaint  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission Inspector General issued the following report (No. 580) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Fiscal 2023 Independent Evaluation of the Implementation of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM TO: Kenneth Johnson, Chief Operating Officer FROM: Rebecca L. Sharek, Deputy Inspector General for Audits, Evaluations, and Special Projects, Office of Inspector General SUBJECT: Fisc  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging issued the following testimony by Deborah Steinberg, senior health policy attorney at the Legal Action Center, involving a hearing on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "Understanding a Growing Crisis: Substance Use Trends Among Older Adults": * * * Chairman Casey, Ranking Member Braun, and Members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on Legal Action Center's work to improve access to substan  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, have issued a public comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The comment was written on Dec. 18, 2023, and posted on Dec. 21, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2023-0072-8106, was sent to Administrator Michael S. Regan. * * * We write   more

SYRACUSE, New York, Jan. 5 -- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University campus issued the following news: Martin T. Durkin, Jr., has been named Chief Campus Counsel for SUNY Upstate Medical University after serving in an Interim capacity since April 2023. Durkin has over 30 years of legal experience, primarily focused on healthcare law, academic medicine, and related compliance matters. Durkin was selected after a nationwide search. The appointment, effective immediately, was  more

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 4 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Courtney Arbour, Leslie Cantu, and Sylvia Kauffman to the Task Force on Consolidation of Workforce and Social Services for terms set to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The Task Force was created to develop a plan for the consolidation of workforce development programs administered by the Texas Workforce Commission and safety-net programs administered by the Texas Hea  more

LAREDO, Texas, Jan. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: A Texas woman has pleaded guilty for her role in a scheme to illegally transport hundreds of foreign nationals within the United States and conspiracy to launder proceeds of illicit human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. According to court documents, Erminia Serrano Piedra aka Irma and Boss Lady, 32, conspired with at least 14 other members of a h  more

TRAVIS AFB, California, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. Air Force's Travis Air Force Base (60th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news: By 2nd Lt. Casey Sturdivan, 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs U.S. Air Force Col. Derek M. Salmi, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, promoted to Brigadier General, effective Dec. 5, 2023. Team Travis celebrated his promotion during an official ceremony held on Jan. 4, 2024. During the ceremony, Salmi took the opportunity to thank his family, friends and Air Fo  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-100-014) on Dec. 28, 2023, entitled "Independent Attestation Review of the Internal Revenue Service's Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Formulation Compliance Report and Detailed Accounting Report of Drug Control Funds." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Audit This review was conducted as required by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP),  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-300-008) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Post-Pandemic Actions Have Contributed to Declines in Automated Collection System Level of Service and Collection Inventories." Here are excerpts: * * * Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of the IRS's actions to improve Automated Collection System (ACS) call sites' business results a  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-408-013) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Progress Update on Tax Return Scanning Initiatives." Here are excerpts: * * * Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated to evaluate the IRS's efforts to scan paper-filed individual tax returns into an electronic format for the 2023 Filing Season. On September 15, 2022, the Secretary of the Treasury detailed plans for u  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-300-011) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Trends in Compliance Activities Through Fiscal 2022." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Audit TIGTA conducts this review annually in response to continuing stakeholder interest in the analysis and trending of IRS civil enforcement activities, including Collection and Examination function activities. The ov  more

BANGOR, Maine, Jan. 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine issued the following news release: A Woodville woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker ordered Rella Austin-Kimball, 51, to pay $103,596.91 in restitution, consisting of $78,858.25 to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and $4,550.66 for the MaineCare program and $20,188 for the Supplem  more

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah issued the following news release: An indictment was unsealed after a California man was arrested and is scheduled to appear in a Salt Lake City federal courthouse. The eight count indictment charges the defendant for unlawfully collecting unemployment insurance during COVID-19 from California while living and working in Utah. He also allegedly assisted others in committing the same acts for a cut of their   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00410-197) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "VA Needs to Conduct Seismic Evaluations on Critical and Essential Buildings to Effectively Prioritize Program Funds." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary On February 9, 1971, an earthquake in San Fernando, California, caused substantial damage to 26 buildings on the VA campus. Four of these buildings collapsed and 38 people were kil  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-02934-208) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "VA Should Validate Contractor Energy Baseline and Savings Estimates and Ensure Payments Are Legally Compliant." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 amended the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 to authorize federal agencies to enter into contracts for the purpo  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00007-45) on Jan. 3, 2024, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Miami VA Healthcare System in Florida." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Miami VA He  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-03165-46) on Jan. 3, 2024, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient s  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00004-37) on Dec. 19, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the W.G. Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, North Carolina." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient setti  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Despite Company's Complaints About Direct File's Expense, Intuit Received $94 Million in Federal Research Tax Credits in 2022, Enough to Fund a Year of Free E-Filing "Americans deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, especially when their hard-earned money is being used to fund subsidies for corporations lobbying against federal programs that would benefit taxpayers." Washington, D.  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: WATERBURY, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PIERRE JOSHWAN RODRIGUEZ, also known as "Ochy," 42, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 210 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for heading a coca  more