• Watchdog groups say convention appearances broke Hatch Act

    Watchdog groups say convention appearances broke Hatch Act

    Aug 28, 2020 12:54 AM EST

    ... law professor, and Painter — George W. Bush's former ethics lawyer, a onetime Democratic Senate candidate, and a University of Minnesota law professor — requests an inspector general investigation into Pompeo's State Department. They also called for a review of whether State Department employees who helped with logistics could have ...

  • Pentagon says use of surveillance planes in protests was legal

    Pentagon says use of surveillance planes in protests was legal

    Aug 21, 2020 06:51 PM EST

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The use of National Guard reconnaissance planes in four U.S. cities to monitor the widespread protests earlier this year didn't violate rules against the military collecting intelligence on Americans, a Pentagon report has concluded. The investigation by the Air Force inspector general found that the planes ...

  • Watchdog says the U.S. Census lacks door knockers needed for 2020 count

    Watchdog says the U.S. Census lacks door knockers needed for 2020 count

    Aug 21, 2020 04:49 PM EST

    ... they keep saying we have plenty of workers and not to worry because we can do this faster with plenty of enumerators," said Lowenthal, who is now a census consultant. "But that is not what we are hearing from the field and now the Inspector General report is confirming that."

  • Embattled postal leader is a Trump donor with deep GOP ties

    Embattled postal leader is a Trump donor with deep GOP ties

    Aug 20, 2020 08:41 PM EST

    ... Lawmakers pressed DeJoy for the rationale behind his actions and repeatedly complained that he has not being forthcoming about his policies, leading the agency's inspector general to open an inquiry. At the same time, Trump has acknowledged that he is blocking an emergency aid package for the Postal Service ...

  • Senate panel finds Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election

    Senate panel finds Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election

    Aug 18, 2020 08:49 AM EST

    ... the dossier's allegations remain uncorroborated “nearly four years after Steele delivered the first of these memos.” A separate investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general also faulted the FBI for errors and omissions related to the Steele dossier as it sought surveillance warrants. Rubio said in a statement ...

  • Q&A: What's happening at the US Postal Service, and why?

    Q&A: What's happening at the US Postal Service, and why?

    Aug 15, 2020 04:40 PM EST

    ... also seeking a review of DeJoy's policy changes. In response to the letter, spokeswoman Agapi Doulaveris of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said the office is "conducting a body of work to address the concerns raised.” She declined to elaborate. ___Associated Press writer Anthony Izaguirre ...

  • News Wrap: 3 wildfires rage out of control in Southern California

    News Wrap: 3 wildfires rage out of control in Southern California

    Aug 14, 2020 10:55 PM EST

    ... rules at federal agencies, since the last Senate-confirmed DHS secretary resigned in 2019. The watchdog has now referred the issue to the agency's inspector general. In economic news, retail spending returned to pre-pandemic levels in July. But sales weren't quite as strong as analysts had hoped ...

  • Former FBI lawyer to plead guilty in Trump-Russia probe review

    Former FBI lawyer to plead guilty in Trump-Russia probe review

    Aug 14, 2020 07:03 PM EST

    ... s investigation. That means additional findings from Durham could be released in the coming weeks. Clinesmith was referred for potential prosecution by the department's inspector general's office, which conducted its own review of the Russia investigation. Specifically, the inspector general accused Clinesmith, though not by name, of altering ...

  • Homeland Security officials were wrongly appointed, watchdog says

    Homeland Security officials were wrongly appointed, watchdog says

    Aug 14, 2020 04:44 PM EST

    ... Ken Cuccinelli, are ineligible to run the agency under a federal law known as the Vacancy Reform Act. GAO said it has asked the DHS inspector general to review the situation and determine if the violation affects decisions they have taken at a time when the Department of Homeland Security ...

  • News Wrap: Russia approves vaccine for COVID-19

    News Wrap: Russia approves vaccine for COVID-19

    Aug 11, 2020 10:50 PM EST

    ... last year to push some $8 billion to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, citing threats from Iran. The findings come after former Inspector General Steve Linick testified that State Department officials pressured him to drop the investigation. President Trump fired Linick in May. Seattle's police chief ...