Topic:

Oversight

Latest Headlines

Latest Headlines

Mueller says FBI cuts threaten response to attacks like Boston

Training builds relationships between law enforcement agencies, and that's part of what made the response to the Boston Marathon bombings so effective--but it's also among the first things those agencies cut when budgets tighten, FBI Director Robert Mueller said May 16.

GSA will pay $3M to more than 1,000 contractors kicked out of schedules program

The General Services Administration owes more than one thousand contractors more than $3 million because the agency failed to reimburse vendors after kicking them out of the schedules program.

Federal judge rules in favor of FBI use of stingray

A federal judge in Arizona says the FBI can use evidence collected by a device that masquerades as a cellular base tower, triggering an automatic register response from nearby devices and routing communications from those devices through it.

Army needs specific rules for building maintenance after base closures, GAO report says

Facilities at some closed Army installations were not maintained at a high enough level for reuse within communities surrounding the closed bases because the Army doesn't have specific guidelines for maintenance, a May 14 Government Accountability Office report (.pdf) says.

Acting IRS commissioner resigns over Tea Party targeting

Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Steven Miller resigned Wednesday night, President Obama  said  that same day, after a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report showed the IRS used inappropriate criteria to select tea party organizations for tax-exempt status review.

Agencies could save on services procurement by setting savings goals, GAO says

By using private sector procurement techniques such as setting savings goals, the federal government could save $12 billion a year on aquiring services, a recently released April 15 Government Accountability Office  report  (.pdf) says.

Auditors uncover IT vulnerabilities at EPA Office of Research Division facilities

Environmental Protection Agency auditors say information technology controls at Office of Research Division research facilities need improvement following an assessment of five facilities that uncovered vulnerabilities such as unsecured workstations.

Spotlight: DOJ confronts Associated Press, IRS controversies

Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee today on a variety of issues including the Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press telephone records.

Savings from data center consolidation unclear, likely minimal so far

Savings so far from federal data center consolidation are difficult to estimate for their lack of reporting, but are "believed to be minimal" as of last November--nearly 3 years after the Office of Management and Budget launched an initiative to reduce the number of federal data centers by 40 percent--says the GAO.

Nominee for OMB deputy director emphasizes quality workforce

OMB has a reputation for having "excellent professional staff," Brian Deese said. "It's also facing a lot of challenges today, and so I think that investing in making sure that the institution is able to continue to attract and recruit top-flight talent" will be key, he said.