Management

Trump and Musk want to create a government efficiency commission. It’s not a new idea

Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both spearheaded initiatives to reduce government waste and inefficiency, although they went about it in vastly different ways.

Tech

AI tools helped Treasury recover billions in fraud and improper payments

Risk screening, check fraud detection and more have helped the government recover more than $4 billion, Treasury announced.

Oversight

Lawmakers mull a fraud-focused scorecard for oversight

Agency watchdogs warned lawmakers that their centralized fraud analytics capacity could end next year without congressional action.

Management

Trump vows to establish an 'efficiency commission' with Elon Musk at the helm

The former president said the Tesla CEO has “agreed” to head up a task force aimed at cutting federal programs.

Pay & Benefits

Slam the Scam, again

Some tips for avoiding scams and resources for help if you become victim to a scam artist.

Oversight

Watchdog urges OMB to prioritize implementation of anti-fraud recommendations

GAO updated the budget agency on the 172 recommendations that it has not completed.

Oversight

Divide and conquer improper payments

COMMENTARY| Fraud prevention and detection require a different level of focus, argues one former federal CFO.

Oversight

Lawmakers update proposal to cut down on billions in improper payments

Agencies would be required to include details on their anti-fraud controls and fraud risk management work in annual financial reports.

Management

Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification

The IRS "has stated repeatedly that a taxpayer does not have the right to refuse to pay taxes based on religious or moral beliefs."

Management

Using AI to fight fraud is paying off, Treasury says

The tech has helped recover over $375 million since Treasury began using it over a year ago.

Oversight

The FTC is attacking drugmakers’ ‘patent thickets’

The agency says drugmakers illegitimately use the patents to prevent competitors from offering cheaper generic alternatives.

Oversight

Former DHS employees sentenced for plot to steal government software, databases

The trio wanted to to build a commercial software product that would have been sold to government agencies.

Oversight

Social Security clawbacks hit a million more people than the agency chief told Congress

At issue is the scope of a problem that has terrified many Social Security beneficiaries and plunged them into financial distress.

Oversight

In Congress, calls mount for Social Security to address clawbacks

The Social Security Administration routinely sends notices to beneficiaries saying they received benefits to which they weren’t entitled — and demanding they pay the government back, often within 30 days.

Oversight

From payment accuracy to program integrity

COMMENTARY | The staggering level of pandemic fraud coupled with mounting concerns about the size and trajectory of the nation’s debt load should elevate program integrity as a top management focus, writes one observer.

Oversight

How more than $600M in COVID relief funds awarded last year went unreported

The problem is even bigger this year, according to the Government Accountability Office. The lack of reporting makes it difficult to track fraud, waste and abuse.

Oversight

Social Security overpayments draw scrutiny and outrage from members of Congress

SSA recovered $4.7 billion of overpayments during the 2022 fiscal year but ended that year with $21.6 billion of overpayments still uncollected, according to a November 2022 report by department’s inspector general.