Office of the Inspector General

Sens. Whitehouse and Heinrich are requesting an investigation into the Interior Department's handling of damage to the Reflecting Pool's renovations. Justice Department officials alleged that the Interior concealed information about the damage.

An Inspector General (IG) report on Massachusetts' indigent defense system blamed agencies like the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) and courts for systemic failures but omitted the role of over-prosecution and over-criminalization in straining the system. The report highlighted issues like inadequate lawyer staffing and payment rates but failed to address how aggressive prosecutions increase case loads for underpaid court-appointed attorneys.

A new Minnesota law allows state agencies to share fraud data starting August 1, using 'may' instead of 'must' to provide flexibility. Lawmakers from both parties support the change, with the Office of the Inspector General ensuring compliance to prevent misuse of tax dollars.

A report from Chicago's Office of the Inspector General found that the city's rodent control strategy focuses too heavily on responding to complaints rather than preventing infestations through coordinated interagency action.

A report by Washington, D.C.'s inspector general found a prolonged systemic breakdown in the Metropolitan Police Department's crime statistics internal controls from 2015 to 2025, leading to classification errors and unreliable data. The report recommended establishing an independent review function and highlighted the 2013 dissolution of a prior oversight unit as a contributing factor. The findings followed federal scrutiny over alleged data manipulation and Trump's federalized law enforcement efforts in the city.

Detroit has paid an average of $36,000 per site to remove and replace contaminated backfill dirt at over 100 demolition sites, linked to a contractor under federal investigation. The city has approved a $3.5 million contract increase with environmental consultants to address the issue, and over 450 additional properties remain to be tested.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Dick Durbin reintroduced the Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act to hold colleges accountable for unmanageable student debt. The bill requires evaluating repayment outcomes and debt levels relative to earnings, responding to state and federal fraud investigations, and increasing transparency in accreditation decisions.

A federal audit found Ramsey County failed to meet requirements for a nearly $3 million Justice Department grant intended to upgrade first responder radios and generators. The county lacked required policies and did not use a competitive process for generators, leading to $273,000 in questioned costs. The Justice Department’s grant office will determine if repayment is required, and auditors recommended improving grant administration and financial management.

Former City Hall chief operating officer Paul Goodrich had unpaid IRS tax liens exceeding $90,000 when hired by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021. His son later secured a paid internship with contractor Robert Blackwell Jr., who submitted $9.6 million in disputed invoices for unauthorized IT work, leading to an investigation. Current Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration reduced the payment to $600,000 and seeks to ban Blackwell’s company EKI-Digital from city contracts.

Senior officials remaining after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's departure are linked to contracting practices under scrutiny, including $9 billion in non-competitive contracts during Noem's tenure. The Office of the Inspector General is auditing all such contracts from fiscal year 2025, and a $200M contract extension for a 'self-deportation' initiative awarded to Salus Worldwide Solutions faces legal challenges over limited bid notice.

A federal report found nearly 140 doctors billed Medicare over $100 million for potentially unnecessary vascular procedures, such as stent placement and atherectomy, which put patients at risk of complications. The Office of the Inspector General cited ProPublica's 2023 investigation linking high Medicare reimbursements to a surge in these procedures, which many experts question for safety and efficacy.

The Ohio House committee revised House Bill 649, which addresses childcare fraud investigations, by allowing the Office of the Inspector General to request evidence and pause investigations. The bill also removed provisions requiring storage of surveillance footage from childcare facilities and modified notification requirements for legislative leadership.

President Donald Trump criticized the Federal Reserve's $4 billion building renovation project, vowing to investigate after U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro shifted the probe to the Fed's inspector general. Trump questioned the cost discrepancy, comparing it to his claim of completing the project for $25 million, while Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell faced scrutiny over management of the renovation costs.

Rep. Eric Burlison is demanding an FBI investigation into the disappearances and deaths of at least 10 U.S. scientists with access to top-level secrets over two years. Cases include retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William McCasland and Matthew Sullivan, with Burlison calling the pattern 'too coincidental' to ignore. President Trump acknowledged the issue but did not confirm connections.