USIS

• New audit reveals OPM’s weak oversight of background check reviews

  A new audit from the OPM Inspector General's office reveals shortcomings in the steps taken by Office of Personnel Management and its contractors to make sure background investigations undergo quality reviews. The audit pointed to a lack of oversight on OPM's part in making sure contractors actually review cases and said some of the companies that employ case reviewers failed to keep track of records showing the contractors had undergone proper training.

  Management

  June 12, 2014
• Fixing the security clearance mess starts with bringing background investigations back in house

  Matthew Baum, a former investigator in OPM's now-defunct Office of Federal Investigations, questions whether politics and privatization went too far by outsourcing background investigations.

  Management

  May 20, 2014
• OPM’s crackdown on background check fraud leads to jail time — for some

  Since 2008, the Office of Personnel Management has been on a crusade to root out falsification in background investigations using the courts. Nearly two dozen background investigators for either OPM or one of its contractors have been criminally prosecuted for misconduct ranging from outright falsifying reports, known as "ghostwriting," to performing sloppy checks that failed to adhere to OPM's standards.

  Management

  May 09, 2014
• Background investigation fraud case against USIS moved to DC court

  Less than two weeks ago, a federal judge approved the transfer of the case alleging USIS with improperly conducting thousands of background-check reviews to Washington, D.C. An investigation conducted by the Office of Personnel Management's inspector general remains ongoing. OPM says it has confidence in the reforms put in place by the company.

  Management

  May 07, 2014
• Background check probe zeroes in on USIS contracts

  Among the issues considered Tuesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee were contracting practices at the Office of Personnel Management that allowed the largest background-investigation contactor -- accused by the Justice Department of taking improper shortcuts and defrauding the government -- to conduct quality reviews of its own work.

  Congress

  February 11, 2014
• OPM undecided whether to suspend, debar USIS after DoJ complaint

  OPM Director Katherine Archuleta called Justice's case an "egregious violation of the public trust." OPM has taken steps to reform and improve the oversight of the security clearance system to prevent future "dumping" of cases.

  Management

  January 27, 2014
• Background check firm in hot water for ‘flushing’ records

  The Justice Department has accused the company that performed background investigations of both National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden and Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis of defrauding the government, making false statements and breach of contract. DoJ's civil complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Alabama alleges the company, which is the government's largest contractor for background-investigation services, submitted at least 665,000 background investigations to the Office of Personnel Management that hadn't been properly reviewed.

  Management

  January 23, 2014
• DOJ joins whistleblower suit against company that vetted Snowden, Alexis

  The Justice Department has joined a whistleblower False Claims Act suit against the federal government's largest provider of background investigations. Filed under the False Claims Act, the suit alleges that USIS, which currently has a multimillion-dollar contract with the Office of Personnel Management, failed to properly review its casework before providing it OPM.

  Management

  October 30, 2013
• OPM defends 2007 background check of Navy Yard shooter

  The same company that performed National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden's background investigation also performed a check of Aaron Alexis, the IT contractor who shot and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard Monday. The Office of Personnel Management said it believes Alexis' background check was complete and that the Defense Department signed off on the results of the background check.

  Defense

  September 20, 2013
• Contractor conducting background checks under investigation prior to NSA leak

  Patrick McFarland, the inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management, confirmed to a Senate subcommittee Thursday that his office has been investigating USIS, the government's largest contractor for background-investigation services, since late 2011. He said at least 18 security clearance investigators have been convicted of falsifying investigations since 2007. McFarland said there may be "considerably more" fraud that hasn't been uncovered due to "alarmingly insufficient oversight" of the security-clearance process.

  Congress

  June 20, 2013
• USIS wins new investigations support contract

  USIS has been awarded a new contract that is worth up to $288 million over five years

  Acquisition

  June 13, 2011
• Building more secure buildings

  Ensuring buildings are safe from the ground up.

  Technology

  September 02, 2010