“DOE's inadequate management and oversight of its contractors led us to designate its contract management as a High Risk area,” the report stated. "For example, in November 2016, DOE contractors constructing a nuclear waste treatment plant agreed to pay a combined $125 million to settle a lawsuit alleging, among other things, that a contractor improperly used federal funds for lobbying purposes.”
The report also cited a contract at the department’s Hanford nuclear site, in which invoices were submitted for hundreds of fraudulent purchases between 2003 and 2008, including kickbacks.
The report made a series of recommendations, including the establishment of a department-wide invoice review policy and the creation of a designated agency within the department to manage fraud risk.
