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Defense Communications: White House Communications Agency Activities and Funding

T-NSIAD-96-168 Published: May 16, 1996. Publicly Released: May 16, 1996.
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Highlights

GAO discussed the White House Communications Agency's (WHCA) activities and funding, focusing on the events that led to the separate review of WHCA by the Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General (IG). GAO noted that: (1) it attempted to obtain WHCA data from September 1994 to January 1995, but the White House, WHCA, and DOD failed to provide sufficient information to verify reported WHCA activities and costs; (2) after these failed attempts, key officials agreed to an independent review of WHCA; (3) the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) did not review WHCA budget requests as extensively as budget requests from other subordinate organizations; (4) DISA contracting officials seldom participated in the WHCA acquisition planning and requirements validation process; (5) DOD was not reimbursed for $4.3 million in communications support that WHCA provided to the Secret Service from 1990 to 1995; (6) WHCA spent funds without contractual authorization, authorized duplicate payments, incurred interest penalties, and leased telecommunications equipment without conducting proper cost analyses; (7) DOD IG identified $7.8 million in services and equipment that were outside of the WHCA mission; (8) WHCA has tried to transfer funding of these services to the White House or the General Services Administration since 1991, but the White House has refused to accept them; and (9) WHCA has made little progress in correcting past deficiencies, and its inventory remains unauditable.

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Auditing proceduresBudgetingInspectors generalInteragency relationsInternal controlsInvestigations into federal agenciesIrregular procurementNoncomplianceCommunicationsSecret service