Semiannual Report to the Congress, October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026

Message from the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Inspector General

 I am pleased to present this Semiannual Report to the Congress, covering the oversight activities of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of State (Department) and the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) from October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. OIG oversees more than $80.8 billion in Department and USAGM programs and operations. We also provide oversight for the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC). Through our investigative and oversight work, OIG prevents and detects fraud, waste, mismanagement, and corruption in the programs and operations of the agencies we oversee to advance the protection of taxpayer resources. 

This reporting period began on the first day of what became a 43-day U.S. government shutdown. Because we had to pause our work during the lapse in appropriations, some work intended for completion during this reporting period instead will be included in the Semiannual Report to the Congress for the reporting period beginning April 1, 2026. We have made adjustments to our audit, inspection, and evaluation plans to prioritize critical work notwithstanding this operating challenge.   

During this reporting period, we identified approximately $3.1 million in monetary benefits, including $389,000 in questioned costs, $2.3 million in funds put to better use, and $432,000 in investigative monetary results. The Department made management decisions on approximately $1.8 million in potential monetary benefits identified by OIG during the current and prior reporting periods. We issued 31 reports to improve the programs and operations of the agencies we oversee and closed 250 recommendations associated with 68 reports; 17 of these recommendations were significant and demonstrated implementation of crucial corrective actions by the Department, USAGM, and USIBWC. 

Our work demonstrates the dedication of OIG’s mission-driven workforce to delivering meaningful results to the American people. I am grateful to them and to the Department, USAGM, USIBWC, and Congress for their support of our efforts.  

Arne B. Baker
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Inspector General 
April 30, 2026