The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is happy to participate in the 6th Annual Slam the Scam Day (March 9), and we are committed to supporting AOC staff in recognizing and reporting scams and other areas of fraud, waste or abuse in AOC programs and operations. Fraud, waste and abuse: don't accept it. Do something about it. Report it to the AOC OIG Hotline.

It's National Slam the Scam Day — a day to inform the public about the continuing threat of government imposter scams. Scammers often rely on manipulation and deception to exploit individuals or organizations through pervasive phone calls, texts, emails, social media messages and mail. A prevalent tactic involves creating a sense of urgency and pressuring victims to act quickly without fully understanding the situation. Scammers frequently use sophisticated technology to mimic legitimate communications, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine offers and fraudulent schemes. Be on the lookout for an unexpected communication that describes a problem or prize, pressures you to act immediately and/or requests unusual payment such as cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold bars or wire transfers. Awareness and vigilance are essential in identifying red flags such as unsolicited requests for personal information, promises of guaranteed returns or high-pressure sales tactics. Always verify the source's legitimacy and trust your instincts; if something seems too good to be true, it likely is.

In 2023 alone, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported over $10 billion in losses to scams. Specifically, consumers reported losses of $4 billion in investment-related scams and $2.7 billion in imposter scams. The top three reported fraud categories were identity theft, imposter scams and other social engineering schemes and investment scams like fake prizes, sweepstakes or gifts. Scammers are increasingly succeeding in their ruses and stealing your well-earned money to fuel transnational organized crime. For additional information on how to spot scams and keep your money and information safe, please visit the AOC OIG's Fraud Awareness Page or the FTC's Scams Alert Page.

March 1, 2025
Welcome back to issue 7 of The OIG Quarterly!
The holiday hustle and bustle has ended, the weather is cool, we have had multiple snow events, and now we are in tax season. Scammers don’t take breaks and neither should you. In our last issue, we mentioned our new website dedicated to identity fraud and we note it again since tax season is primetime for scammers to steal your identity to claim your tax refund or solicit you directly for funds via text, email or postal mail schemes. Be on the lookout for suspicious activity, and if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Also, neither the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nor the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) will ever ask you for your personal information via text or email, and official email correspondence will always be via a .gov address.
Finally, I would like to thank the AOC team for their continued support, patience, and assistance throughout these last few months. The AOC OIG looks forward to continuing to build strong relationships through open, honest, and transparent communication with all our stakeholders. We have a slogan in the office: let our work speak for itself, and we intend to do just that. In this issue, we cover theft, scammers and our quarterly OIG recent reports. 
 

As a reminder, if you witness fraud, waste or abuse in AOC programs or operations, don’t accept it, do something about it.

Contact the AOC OIG hotline at aocoig.oversight.gov
Thank you.

Dr. Michael J Rich, CIG, PMP, CFE, SHRM-SCP, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General
 

February 27, 2025

On February 18, 2025, former Electrician Supervisor for the AOC, Eric Cavalier, plead guilty to 1 count of 18 U.S. Code § 641 Public money, property, or records, and agreed to repay the AOC full restitution in the amount of $73,298.50 for knowingly and unlawfully misappropriating government property. Cavalier’s formal sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2025, in the District of Maryland. 

According to the factual statement in support of the guilty plea, from 2015 to 2023, Cavalier unlawfully took copper wire and other materials from the AOC and sold them to scrap metal facilities in Maryland and Virginia for personal profit. 

The investigation identified 83 separate transactions, with the majority taking place between 2020 and 2023. Cavalier resigned from the AOC prior to the investigation’s completion. 

The investigation was conducted by the OIG, in conjunction with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). 

The OIG remains committed to providing independent and objective oversight to ensure the AOC fulfills its mission and responsibilities effectively, efficiently and ethically. We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the CCSO and the United States Attorney’s Office – Southern Division, District of Maryland for their professionalism, assistance and coordination.

A full summary providing greater detail into the investigation can be found at Oversight.gov

December 3, 2024

Welcome back to issue 6 of The OIG Quarterly!

It’s no longer a surprise that this time of year brings about a rise in cases of identity theft. It’s also no longer a surprise how quickly technology changes, and with that, just how quickly fraudsters can change their approach. To help combat identity theft, the OIG has created a whole new resource dedicated to help you better understand identify theft, how to spot when it may be happening to you, and how to protect yourself from it. This holiday season, be on the lookout for increased fraud via text messages as well as physical mail theft.

I’d also like to take a moment and thank everyone at the AOC for their continued support and collaboration in helping the OIG carry out its duties of deterring, detecting, and resolving instances of fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. You all have helped make 2024 another successful year for the OIG — we truly could not have done our jobs without you and your assistance.

In this issue, we cover identity theft, provide more guidance on spotting time and attendance (T&A) fraud, welcome a new staff member, and more. We wish you wonderful rest of your 2024 and an exciting start to 2025.

— Christopher Failla, CIG, CFE, AOC Inspector General

August 19, 2024

I’m pleased to share the very first anniversary issue of The OIG Quarterly-Anniversary Issue with you all. In this issue, we’re going to review findings from the latest SAR, take a brief trip down memory lane with a retrospective of the past year’s newsletters and then provide guidance on the MyEPP security breach.

May 30, 2024

The AOC OIG is pleased to announce that the fourth issue of The OIG Quarterly is available now. This issue includes a message on the impacts of not reporting outside employment, the CIGIE Annual Report to Congress including the impact OIGs have on federal government, and a message on Time and Attendance Fraud.

November 13, 2023

The AOC OIG is pleased to announce that the second issue of The OIG Quarterly is available now. This issue covers the Five principles of fraud, the Fraud triangle, and contains recent OIG reports.

February 15, 2024

The AOC OIG is pleased to announce that the third issue of The OIG Quarterly is available now. This issue includes a notice on waste, the importance of OIG hotlines, announcement of recent AOC OIG awards, and contains recent OIG reports.

September 11, 2023

Following the conclusion of its investigation into then-Architect, J. Brett Blanton, for violating multiple government policies, the AOC Office of Inspector General (OIG) requested a GAO decision on whether, in consideration of all laws, statutes, orders and rules, the purchase of a passenger motor vehicle and vehicle accessories and their use was appropriate. The GAO concluded that while the AOC had the authority to expend an appropriation for a vehicle, the AOC violated the Antideficiency Act for exceeding the price limitation. The AOC did not violate the purpose statute when it authorized the purchase of motor vehicle accessories such as lights and sirens. However, when the former Architect allowed family members use of the vehicle, such access was outside of his statutory responsibilities and did violate the purpose statute.

The OIG’s statutory mission is to promote efficiency and effectiveness, and economy to deter and prevent fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in AOC programs and operations. While the former Architect had statutory authorization to expend taxpayer dollars for official business, evidence presented necessitated an appropriations law examination by the GAO. The GAO’s decision further supports the OIG’s investigative findings on waste, abuse of authority and misuse of public funds. The AOC violated both the Antideficiency Act and purpose statute when it authorized the use of government resources in excess of statutory limit and scope.

The OIG remains committed to providing independent and objective oversight to ensure the AOC fulfills its mission and responsibilities effectively, efficiently and ethically. We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the GAO for its professionalism and coordination.

The complete decision is located at https://www.gao.gov/products/b-333508.

August 4, 2023

The AOC OIG releases its first quarterly newsletter, The OIG Quarterly, that contains a reports snapshot, employee spotlight, and a message from the IG. 

February 22, 2023

Senator Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Budget, requested J. Brett Blanton, former Architect of the Capitol pay back the nearly $14,000 in fringe benefits for misuse of government resources.

February 13, 2023

The President terminated J. Brett Blanton as Architect of the Capitol for misconduct after calls from both the Senate and House and both parties demanded his removal.

February 9, 2013

The Committee on House Administration held a hearing entitled, "The Looking Ahead Series: The Architect of the Capitol’s Strategic Plan for the 118th Congress" to question then Architect J. Brett Blanton about, in part, his misuse of government resources as identified in AOC OIG investigation 2021-0011-INVI-P.

November 1, 2022

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) completed its investigation into alleged misuse of a government owned vehicle by J. Brett Blanton and his family members. The OIG has substantiated multiple violations of AOC and government policies and uncovered other allegations that will be turned over to the proper government and local authorities.

Per the investigative report, the OIG has closed the investigation. The OIG has provided the report to the appropriate government agencies and offices, including the AOC’s Congressional Oversight Committees for review and any action they deem appropriate. A full summary providing greater detail into the investigation can be found at 2021-0011-INVI-P-Oversight-Post-Final_0.pdf.

October 4, 2022

The AOC OIG was presented the 25th Annual CIGIE Awards Award for Audit Excellence for the Flash Report Series – Independent Assessment of the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) Role in Securing the Capitol Campus for Large Public Gatherings OIG-AUD-2021-03, written in response to the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

July 20, 2022

A former AOC employee was sentenced for using a government network to view child pornography as reported in Misuse of Government Networks to View Sexually Explicit or Obscene Material by an Architect of the Capitol (AOC) Employee: Substantiated 2019-0006-INVI-P.