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Archive for the FFFF Category

Former Credit Union Employee Indicted

GALVESTON, Texas – Authorities have arrested the former manager of Electrical Workers 527 Federal Credit Union on charges of bank fraud, theft and misapplication, and making false statements in the books and records of a financial institution, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. A federal grand jury

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In Customs’ (CBP’s) Shoes

[email protected] Last week, President Trump signed two Executive Orders (EO) that will affect the use of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) trade resources. The first is a direct call to step up enforcement of trade laws with a special emphasis given to anti-dumping and countervailing duty

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Green Grants and Grantees are now in #GFPFE crosshairs and there is no bag limit

The Economist’s handy graph showing the breakdown of the Trump Administration’s Proposed Budget shows in stark budgetary terms what US government agencies are facing.  I have reviewed the proposed budget and have concluded that it is the strongest indicator yet that the Trump Administration intends to reinvigorate Grant Fraud and Procurement

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People for People, DOJ-OIG and #GFPFE

By [email protected] Changes in enforcement priorities dictate when grant irregularities are referred to enforcement agencies.  This case involving People for People (PFP) provides a good example of that principal.  In reviewing the reports and correspondence, it appears that the matter remained bottled up in DOJ OIG-Audit.  Had

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Trade Risks (Part 3): Trade Preference Programs 

by Janet Labuda In recent hearings on Capitol Hill, Peter Navarro of the National Trade Council talked about the need for free, fair, and reciprocal trade agreements. According to Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will engage in discussions to modernize the

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Compliance: what are the trade risks (Part 2)

by [email protected] In 2008, while I was still working for U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) on international trade enforcement, information kept arriving from other governments, as well as from the U.S. import community, alleging that textile products were being undervalued on the entry documents submitted to Customs.

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Procurement Fraud and Grant Fraud enforcement programs are likely to be revitalized by the Trump Administration.

It’s no shock that a political change in the Executive Branch leads to an increase in grant fraud and procurement fraud enforcement. The reason? There is low risk in scrutinizing grants and contracts awarded by the outgoing administration. Whatever shenanigans are discovered by a new Administration will

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Department of Energy OIG Enforcement under a Trump Administration

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States Government. Its responsibilities include the nation’s nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the United States Navy, energy conservation, energy-related research, radioactive waste disposal, and domestic energy production. It also directs research in genomics; the Human Genome Project originated in an iniative between DOE, NIH and international collaborators. 

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Bradford Geyer explains we need to keep an eye on #OIG audits

Bradford Geyer sees an enforcement agency storm forming around government grants and government procurement and he argues that contractors and grantees would be well served to keep an eye on OIG audit reports that often telegraph enforcement activity.  He provides a quick primer regarding a Department of

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Trade Compliance–Why Bother

by Janet Labuda [email protected] I worked in Customs for over thirty years and met regularly with importers to discuss trade risk, compliance, and enforcement. Often, companies would express their concerns about the cost of compliance–the proverbial cost benefit analysis. If money is spent to create a compliance

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