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OPM staff shortages hinder fraud risk reviews of FEHB

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2 weeks ago

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Employee departures at the Office of Personnel Management are contributing to the agency’s ongoing challenges with addressing fraud risks in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office dug into whether OPM had considered assessing various factors that create risks for fraud in the government’s health insurance program for federal employees. But partially due to recent staffing vacancies, OPM was unable to provide a clear answer.

OPM officials “could not explain or provide documentation as to whether these inherent risks were considered as part of the assessment process, and why the resulting fraud risk profile does not address these risks,” GAO wrote on Thursday.

Amid the overhauls that have taken place in OPM’s internal workforce over the last several months, agency officials who were previously responsible for conducting fraud risk assessments have left their jobs, according to GAO’s report.

OPM has also paused work on its enterprise risk management (ERM) efforts, GAO found, with no clear timeline for when ERM processes will resume. For the time being, OPM officials told GAO that the agency is instead prioritizing the Trump administration’s efforts to restructure the federal workforce.

Prior to 2025, OPM’s Risk Management Council was leading the agency’s efforts to assess fraud risks in the FEHB program. But after reductions in force and reorganizations across the agency, OPM officials told GAO they are now “uncertain” whether RMC will remain the lead on those efforts, or who will be in charge of fraud risk assessment work moving forward.

GAO recommended that OPM identify who will be leading its fraud risk management efforts “as expeditiously as possible.”

“Without a designated antifraud entity and clearly defined and documented roles and responsibilities for that entity … OPM does not have the structure to strategically manage fraud risks in FEHB and prioritize the ones that are most significant,” GAO wrote.

Despite the work being currently on hold, OPM previously conducted various fraud risk assessments for FEHB over the last few years, with the last one occurring in 2024. OPM’s past risk assessments focused on two areas — ineligible family members in FEHB plans, and medical providers who submit false claims to FEHB carriers. But GAO found that they do not consider nine additional factors that also put FEHB at risk of fraud.

Source: Government Accountability Office report on FEHB program, July 2025.

An OPM spokesperson did not immediately respond to Federal News Network’s request for comment. But in its written response to GAO’s report, former acting OPM Director Charles Ezell concurred with all of GAO’s recommendations to improve fraud risk assessments and said the agency intends to make changes based on the recommendations.

“OPM shares your interest in addressing the fraud risk management shortfalls of the previous administration to better respect hardworking taxpayers and improve the integrity of this important program,” Ezell wrote.

The management of fraud risks in the FEHB program have remained a challenge at OPM for years. GAO has highlighted instances of FEHB fraud dating back at least to the early 2000s. And at least since 2012, OPM’s inspector general office has reported systemic weaknesses in FEHB carriers’ management of their fraud detection and elimination programs. Additionally, a November 2019 report from OPM’s OIG called ineligible FEHB members a “known area of substantial fraud.” The OIG also included the management of improper FEHB payments on its most recent list of top management challenges for the agency.

GAO’s July 17 report comes a few years after GAO found in 2022 that OPM has been spending up to $1 billion annually on ineligible family members in the FEHB program. The 2022 report from GAO spurred OPM to make some changes to attempt to weed out ineligible participants, such as beginning to require an eligibility validation of a random 10% sample of participants.

But as OPM faces ongoing fraud risk management challenges with FEHB, the cost of running the federal health insurance program continues to climb. In fiscal 2024, the FEHB program cost the government and program enrollees $70 billion combined — a 19% increase in the program’s cost since 2022. GAO said ineligible family members who remain on FEHB plans contribute to rising FEHB premiums and make it more expensive for OPM to run the program.

In Congress, lawmakers also made a recent attempt to reduce improper payments through the FEHB program. One provision of the now-passed GOP reconciliation bill requires OPM to create a new system to assess family members enrolled in FEHB to ensure their eligibility, and remove any participants who are found to be ineligible for the program.

In June, Senate Republicans justified the provision by saying the “lax enrollment process for family members on FEHB plans has created substantial fraud by government employee health care beneficiaries.”

The post OPM staff shortages hinder fraud risk reviews of FEHB first appeared on Federal News Network.

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Gov. JB Pritzker Brokers Deal to Host Roughly 30 Texas Democrats in Chicago for Week-Long Plot Against GOP Redistricting Plan

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5 hours ago

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August 4, 2025

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Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaron Rodriguez (Joint Force Headquarters – Illinois National Guard Public Affairs)

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is now playing host to roughly 30 rogue Texas Democrats who fled the Lone Star State to block a mid-decade redistricting vote backed by President Donald Trump and the Republican legislature.

The Texas Democrats, once again resorting to legislative cowardice, broke quorum just before a scheduled special session that would have cemented a new congressional map, one expected to create five new GOP-leaning seats.

In their desperate attempt to stop the vote, these runaway lawmakers fled across state lines to Chicago, where they are being sheltered and advised by none other than far-left Governor Pritzker himself, according to NBC.

This marks the second time in recent years that Texas Democrats have pulled this unconstitutional stunt. They tried the same tactic in 2021—and failed.

In response, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton blasted the lawmakers, saying: “Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately. We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law.”

Last month, Paxton issued a stern warning, vowing to arrest any Democrats who attempted to play political games.

“If Democrats ignore their duty to their constituents by breaking quorum, they should be found and arrested no matter where they go. The people of Texas elected them to do a job, not run away and hide like cowards. Lawmakers must answer the special session call and pass the important priorities that the Governor has put forward.

My office stands ready to assist local, state, and federal authorities in hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office and their constituents for cheap political theater.”

Now, far-left Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has brokered a deal to host 30 Texas Democrats in Chicago in a last-ditch attempt to sabotage a redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump and Texas Republicans.

These rogue Texas lawmakers fled the Lone Star State like cowards, deliberately breaking quorum to grind legislative business to a halt.

NBC reported:

The roughly 30 Democrats are expected to stay for the week in a plan brokered with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who had met with the Texas caucus late last month and has directed staff to provide logistical support for their stay. A news conference with the governor and Texas Democrats is expected later Sunday.

“We’re leaving Texas to fight for Texans,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said in a statement. “We will not allow disaster relief to be held hostage to a Trump gerrymander. We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent. As of today, this corrupt special session is over.”

[…]

Politically, the move puts Pritzker at the center of a high-profile national fight. The governor, who is running for his third term in office, is also widely viewed as a 2028 presidential contender. He has implored Democrats to resist Trump’s agenda.

The origins of Pritzker’s involvement began when the governor gave a keynote address to Oklahoma Democrats in June. Pritzker met privately in a “robust” meeting with the party chair to talk about the Texas redistricting, according to a person close to the governor. When Pritzker later met with Texas Democrats, he assured them they could come to his state and find support, including finding hotels, meeting spaces and other logistical assistance.

The Texas Democrats, however, face the risk of a $500-a-day fine and even possible arrest for fleeing the state. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the measure in 2023, two years after state Democrats left the state for three weeks to block an elections bill from progressing.

“Democrats have got to stand up at this point and tell every individual in this nation, ‘This is not normal. This is not democracy,’” Democratic state Rep. Ann Johnson told NBC News on Saturday.

The post Gov. JB Pritzker Brokers Deal to Host Roughly 30 Texas Democrats in Chicago for Week-Long Plot Against GOP Redistricting Plan appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Sydney Sweeney Is Revealed to be Registered Republican Amid Woke Backlash Over American Eagle’s ‘Good Jeans’ Ad

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5 hours ago

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August 4, 2025

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In a stunning revelation that’s sure to infuriate the radical left even more, bombshell actress Sydney Sweeney has been outed as a registered Republican in Florida, just as she’s facing absurd backlash over a harmless American Eagle jeans advertisement.

The 27-year-old “Euphoria” star, known for her roles in hit shows and films, registered with the GOP in Monroe County in June 2024, according to public voter records viewed by The Gateway Pundit.

This comes at a time when left-wing activists are desperately trying to cancel her for an ad that playfully puns on “great jeans” and “good genes,” twisting it into some far-fetched eugenics conspiracy.

The controversy erupted last week when American Eagle launched its fall campaign featuring Sweeney. In the ad, the blonde beauty struts in denim while narrating about her family heritage: “My parents always said I got good genes… Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The ad’s slogan is a clever play on words, tying into the brand’s jeans line and celebrating confidence and personal style. But in today’s hyper-woke climate, nothing innocent escapes the outrage mob. Critics on social media, particularly from progressive circles, accused the ad of promoting “white supremacy” and eugenics, claiming the “genes” reference evokes Nazi-era ideals of genetic superiority, simply because Sweeney is white, attractive, and unapologetically feminine.

American Eagle fired back against the nonsense, issuing a statement that read, in part, “Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”

This isn’t the first time Sweeney has faced scrutiny for not toeing the Hollywood leftist line. Rumors of her conservative leanings have swirled for years, fueled by photos from a family gathering where people were seen wearing red MAGA hats. Sweeney never commented on the controversy.

Sweeney is no longer just a talented actress, she’s emerging as a symbol of resistance against cancel culture.

The post Sydney Sweeney Is Revealed to be Registered Republican Amid Woke Backlash Over American Eagle’s ‘Good Jeans’ Ad appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Motorcyclist Gets Taught a Hard Lesson After Performing Dangerous Stunts in Front of Police Officers (VIDEO)

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5 hours ago

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August 4, 2025

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Credit: Pueblo Police Department

A motorcyclist got taught a hard lesson after deciding to perform stupid stunts while driving in front of police.

As KKTV reported on Thursday, a person in Pueblo, Colorado got busted by police last month after officers witnessed a series of reckless moves by him and two of his cronies.

These motorcyclists blocked traffic with their stunts, causing several community members to call the cops and complain.

As the video below shows, motorcyclists perform sets of wheelies and stand up on the seat, endangering themselves and others on the road.

Once the motorcyclists reach a stoplight, the Pueblo police spring into action. They gang tackle the motorcyclist closest to them, and the other two drivers speed off.

He is then put into handcuffs.

WATCH:

One of the officers angrily explains to the motorcyclist that he has a whole dashcam of him doing stupid things while driving on the road, endangering everybody.

Then the idiot receives news that he probably considers worse than an arrest: the police officer tells him they will tow his bike and put a hold on it for a nuisance.

“Oh no, please don’t do that,” he whines.

The policeman further explains that the bike will now go into storage, and the biker must pay the tow fee every day for six months.

“No, dude. Please don’t do this. It’s a minibike, I hardly ever ride that thing,” he whimpers.

The cop closes by telling the motorcyclist they are not trying to make his life harder, but that he put everyone in danger. Thus, he needs to suffer the consequences for his actions.

The post Motorcyclist Gets Taught a Hard Lesson After Performing Dangerous Stunts in Front of Police Officers (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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