Kevin Clark (bbrefxp42005.kiewit.dartmouth.edu - 129.170.89.56)
| Posted on Thursday, June 09, 2005 - 3:51 pm: | |
I just received a certified letter from the Office of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps. Did any of you receive such a letter? It reads: The Office of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps is in the process of conducting a review of post-service applications by former Peace Corps staff and Volunteers for benefits under the Federal Employees Compensation Act... The promotion of economy and efficiency and the prevention and investigation of fraud, waste, and abuse is a part of our statutory authority and responsibility. We work closely with the Inspector General of the Department of Labor ... You do not need to respond to this communication. Any changes regarding your disability, current income, address, etc. should, as always, be immediately reported to the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs ... If you are aware of any situation in which this program may be being abused, please contact us immediately ... As you know the making of false statements, claims and factual omissions made in conjunction with obtaining benefits under this program carries serious criminal and administrative penalties under federal law. During the course of this review you may be contacted by an auditor, evaluator, or criminal investigator from this office. I thank you in advance for your cooperation.. The letter was signed by Allan R. Gall, Acting Inspector General, and was cc'd to USDOL/OIG and USDOL/OWCP. While I think the OIG's efforts are laudable, I have to wonder if the taxpayer would be better served if the Inspector Generals expanded their investigation to include how well Peace Corps assists former Volunteers with their workers' compensation claims, how DOL treats claimants, how well Peace Corps and DOL promote efficiency and reduce waste, etc. I welcome your comments and questions. Kevin |