An FCC Office of Inspector Gen. (OIG) effort to audit more Univer...
An FCC Office of Inspector Gen. (OIG) effort to audit more Universal Service Fund (USF) contracts remains stymied by an auditor shortage, OIG said in a report to Congress for the 6 months ending Sept. 30. OIG has long…
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wanted more auditors, especially for E-Rate projects. “Unfortunately, we have made no additional progress in either obtaining additional staff or completing the 3-way contract with USAC (the Universal Service Administrative Co.)” meant to get auditors from an accounting firm, the OIG said. A staff member was to transfer from the Commission’s Office of Managing Dir., but “personnel actions were frozen shortly after Chairman Martin assumed his position and no action has been taken to complete this transfer.” OIG said the 3-way contract for contractors seemed to have FCC approval but in mid-Aug. the FCC Gen. Counsel’s Office raised concerns about the vendor selection process. The OIG said: “We have been working with USAC since the summer of 2004 to establish a three- way contract under which the OIG and USAC can obtain audit resources to conduct USF audits. In addition to providing access to resources to conduct audits, the three-way agreement was intended to provide access to resources necessary to provide support to criminal investigations of E-Rate and USF fraud. As a result of delays in establishing the three-way agreement, the FCC OIG has struggled to provide adequate investigative support to federal law enforcement.”