Office of the Inspector General
Coverage of Office of the Inspector General in the Nexus archive.
- Ramsey County could owe $273K after mishandling a federal grant
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.
- Financial troubles have dogged former Lightfoot aide at center of City Hall hiring, contracting scandal
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.
- The last holdouts from the Kristi Noem era of the Department of Homeland Security
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.
- More Than $100 Million Was Billed for Medically Questionable Vascular Procedures, Government Watchdog Finds
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.
- Ohio House committee changes investigative, reporting provisions in childcare fraud bill
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.
- Trump vows to 'get to the bottom' of Fed's multibillion-dollar building renovation after probe shift
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 Burlison demands FBI probe after top US scientists vanish or turn up dead
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.