Every year, the federal Office of Government Ethics audits ethics programs at a few federal agencies and departments. The targeted agencies are all over the map – in fiscal 2010 they’ve already hit the Broadcasting Board of Governors and NASA’s Johnson Space center, among others – but include plenty that will interest health care journalists. The audit reports are about eight to 10 pages long and can be obtained with a FOIA request.
The Project on Government Oversight commented recently on the reports:
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) used to publish these periodic reviews of agency ethics programs, but now only releases them in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Given recent concerns about certain agencies’ ethics programs (we’re looking at you, Interior), now might be a good time for agencies to take a more proactive approach.
Here’s a selection of some offices that have been audited in recent years:
2010
- National Transportation Safety Board
- United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2009
- Rural Development (USDA)
- Naval Hospital Pensacola
- HHS Office of the Secretary and Office of General Counsel
- HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- HHS Health Resources and Service Administration
- USDA – Food Safety and Inspection Service
2008
- Department of Veteran’s Affairs
- Armed Force Retirement Home
2006
- Centers for Disease Control
- U.S. Army Medical Command
2005
- Food and Drug Administration
