Reports

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 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.

Treasury reports that the Hardest Hit Fund is in a wind down status. SIGTARP will evaluate the status of the program, and Treasury’s planning of the program’s wind down. This will include, for example, TARP dollars remaining to be spent by state agencies, as well as current and estimated future program activity. It will also review Treasury’s direction and guidance to state agencies for wind down planning, and the state agencies’ response.