Corruption in the Afghanistan government is a well-worn topic, and Afghan subcontractors were singled out by a House subcommittee recently for extortion and corruption. But according to a New York Times article published this week, U.S. contractors deserve a share of the blame as well. The story says Afghan companies are accusing American contractors of not paying them for supplies and services, and leaving the country with unpaid bills of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. An unnamed military official with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan told the Times that “American contractors are contributing to fueling…
Monthly Archives: July, 2010
The Office of Management and Budget has officially tabbed the Homeland Security Department to oversee cybersecurity in the executive branch, as OMB indicated would be the case in April. A memo this week from OMB Director Peter Orszag and federal cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt gives DHS responsibility for: • overseeing the government-wide and agency-specific implementation of and reporting on cybersecurity policies and guidance; • overseeing and assisting government-wide and agency-specific efforts to provide adequate, risk-based and cost-effective cybersecurity; • overseeing the agencies’ compliance with FISMA and developing analyses for OMB to assist in the development of the FISMA annual report;…
In what may be the oddest paternity suit in recent memory, a former Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer is suing basketball star LeBron James and his mother for $4 million. Leicester Bryce Stovell claims that he is LeBron’s dad, and that the basketball star and his mom have conspired to deny his paternity and shut him out of the Miami-bound player’s life. Stovell said his memory of his 1984 one-night stand with Gloria James resurfaced 20 years later. (In an astounding coincidence, that would place his sudden recall well after all hard work and late nights of raising a son,…
The Office of Management and Budget has released a list of 20 financial systems modernizations projects that it will review, under the terms of a memo it put out last week. There are 20 projects at 18 agencies included. OMB has said that about 30 projects will be reviewed, so there’s probably still some more information to come here. OMB says that “in a limited number of cases” OMB, the Financial Systems Advisory Board and the agency in questions are “still determining whether certain systems appropriately fall within the scope of this review.”
[HTML1] As her 20th agency visit, First Lady Michelle Obama was at the Department of Treasury, July 7, 2010, to thank its employees for their work. In particular, she praised the organization’s effort on financial reform, which she hopes will prevent another meltdown. Michelle Obama also mentioned the Treasury’s cooperation with her “Let’s Move” campaign, aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle, by introducing tax credits to grocery stores opening in under-served communities. (Jee Abbey Lee/ Medill News Service for Fedline)
The Heritage Foundation today released a report on federal compensation which calls for drastic cuts in most federal salaries. Heritage concluded that when benefits are factored in, feds earn 30 percent to 40 percent more on average than their private-sector counterparts. Bringing federal salaries in line with market rates would save $47 billion in 2011 alone, Heritage said in its report, “Inflated Federal Pay: How Americans Are Overtaxed to Overpay the Civil Service.” Heritage also calls for abolishing the General Schedule, with its longevity-based raises, and establishing a pay-for-performance system with broad pay bands, cutting leave and other generous federal…
Phony e-mails are being sent to news organizations claiming that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has passed away. Don’t buy it — Leahy is still alive and kicking. My Army Times colleague Rick Maze says that the Senate’s IT department is now trying to track down the source of the fraudulent e-mails. Politico reports that the Capitol Police are also investigating the e-mails, which were “spoofed” to look like they came from Leahy’s office and claimed Leahy died of liver cancer. Politico said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., also were erroneously reported dead by fake e-mails. Sen.…
Federal Times would like to talk to people who invested in Wayne McLeod’s bond fund, which the Securities and Exchange Commission said ended up being a long-running Ponzi scheme that targeted federal and state employees. E-mail me at slosey@federaltimes.com. If you’d like to remain anonymous, that’s fine.
UPDATE: OPM appears to have made a mistake in their press release. I sent them an inquiry this morning asking why their release called the results “record-setting” while growth was apparently flat from 2008 to 2009, and asked for exact numbers. OPM spokesman Marcus Williams just sent me an e-mail saying federal employees pledged $282,620,139 in 2009, and $275,898,745 in 2008. That represents a 2.4 percent increase. OPM’s release has not yet been updated as of Wednesday evening. ORIGINAL POST: Federal employees pledged nearly $276 million to charities during last year’s Combined Federal Campaign, the Office of Personnel Management said…
Six suicide bombers stormed a US Agency for International Development compound in Northern Afghanistan this morning, the Associated Press reports. The bombers killed at least four other people, including at least two non-Afghans, and wounded several other people.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. There’s no indication yet that any of the dead are federal employees, but the attack is another reminder of the extraordinary challenges and dangers deployed civilians face.