Observations on the Office of the Special Counsel's Operations
FPCD-82-10: Published: Dec 2, 1981. Publicly Released: Dec 2, 1981.
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GAO reviewed the Office of the Special Counsel's (OSC) handling of prohibited personnel practice complaints. In its review, GAO selected a random sample of 283 cases out of 948 cases closed between October 1, 1980, and March 31, 1981.
Of the cases reviewed, OSC substantiated only one complaint. Seven others were resolved between the agency and the complainant before OSC completed its investigation, and 40 percent of its cases were closed because of insufficient evidence of any violation. OSC averaged more than 170 calendar days to process a case. GAO found that OSC operations were still hampered by the effects of a budget rescission and limited staffing. GAO found numerous problems with OSC case files. In general, the files were in disarray: information in the files was not inventoried and was usually randomly organized; records of phone calls or coordination with other OSC investigators were often scraps of papers; and file documents submitted by the complainants and records of investigators' research were not secured or anchored to the file folders and could be easily lost, misfiled, or destroyed without anyone knowing such items were missing. OSC is required to investigate Federal employee complaints and allegations involving prohibited personnel practices and may recommend corrective actions if the allegations are substantiated. However, OSC has not developed specific criteria for its staff members to follow while investigating complaints, and similar complaints may be treated differently depending on the investigator and the OSC office. While OSC is the focal point for investigating and prosecuting prohibited personnel practice complaints, the Civil Service Reform Act also gave other agencies and departments responsibility to insure that prohibited personnel practices are prevented.
Oct 26, 2020
Intellectual Property:
CBP Has Taken Steps to Combat Counterfeit Goods in Small Packages but Could Streamline EnforcementGAO-20-692: Published: Sep 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 26, 2020.
Sep 30, 2020
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Federal Criminal Restitution:
Department of Justice Has Ongoing Efforts to Improve Its Oversight of the Collection of Restitution and Tracking the Use of Forfeited AssetsGAO-20-676R: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
Sep 10, 2020
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Federal Tactical Teams:
Characteristics, Training, Deployments, and InventoryGAO-20-710: Published: Sep 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 10, 2020.
Sep 8, 2020
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VA Police:
Actions Needed to Improve Data Completeness and Accuracy on Use of Force Incidents at Medical CentersGAO-20-599: Published: Sep 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2020.
Aug 13, 2020
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Anti-Money Laundering:
FinCEN Should Enhance Procedures for Implementing and Evaluating Geographic Targeting OrdersGAO-20-546: Published: Jul 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 13, 2020.
Jul 29, 2020
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Federal Prison Industries:
Actions Needed to Evaluate Program EffectivenessGAO-20-505: Published: Jul 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2020.
Jul 8, 2020
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Gun Control:
DOJ Can Further Improve Guidance on Federal Firearm Background Check RecordsGAO-20-528: Published: Jul 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 8, 2020.
Jun 22, 2020
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Federal Prisons:
Additional Analysis Needed to Determine Whether to Issue Pepper Spray to Minimum Security PrisonsGAO-20-342: Published: Jun 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2020.
May 26, 2020
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Bureau of Prisons:
Improved Planning Would Help BOP Evaluate and Manage Its Portfolio of Drug Education and Treatment ProgramsGAO-20-423: Published: May 26, 2020. Publicly Released: May 26, 2020.
May 12, 2020
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Forensic Technology:
Algorithms Used in Federal Law EnforcementGAO-20-479SP: Published: May 12, 2020. Publicly Released: May 12, 2020.
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