Reports

In early 2021, AmeriCorps received $1 billion in supplemental funding under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) primarily to award grants in support of its programs. These funds were to remain available until September 30, 2024. On June 3, 2023, however, Congress rescinded all unobligated AmeriCorps ARP program funds. As part of our oversight of ARP funds, the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (AmeriCorps OIG) identified more than 100 Notices of Grant Award involving ARP funds issued after June 3, 2023. Although AmeriCorps’ position is that these grants could still be awarded because they were...

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) administers Mississippi’s unemployment benefits programs. With the influx of jobless claims and COVID relief aid as a result of the pandemic, total unemployment benefit claims increased from $59.6 million in FY 2019 to $2.1 billion in FY 2020. With this infusion of money came massive fraud and misspending. For example, from FY 2020 to FY 2021, known overpayments increased from $118 million to $474 million. The massive loss of money from Mississippi’s unemployment fund is partially the result of MDES bypassing or altering their own...

This Single Audit identifies federal funds spent by state agencies from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. During this time, many state agencies were drawing down federal stimulus dollars from the Coronavirus Relief Fund. In this audit millions of questioned costs were discovered. Notable findings include that the Mississippi Department of Employment Security saw a 301 percent increase in known overpayments from the previous year and made at least $473 million in improper or fraudulent unemployment payments this year. This included unemployment payments to prisoners and people outside of...

This audit assessed the Peace Corps' internal controls over the budget, obligation, and disbursement of CARES Act funds, including compliance with the law and other implementing guidance. We concluded that the Peace Corps complied with necessary provisions of the law and other relevant policies and did not issue any recommendations with this report.

These challenges illustrate the most significant areas the Office of Inspector General (OIG) believes need improvement for the Peace Corps to effectively manage its resources and minimize the potential for fraud, waste, and abuse occurring in its operations. Addressing the issues related to these challenge areas will enable the agency to increase operational efficiencies and improve mission effectiveness.

The Office of Inspector General's annual plan revision outlines changes to our FY 2020 Annual Plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.