The Office of Investigations investigates allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse in the Department of Energy. We prioritize suspected violations of criminal/civil statutes and serious administrative conduct, specifically in the areas of:
- Contract fraud
- Grant fraud
- Employee misconduct
- Cyber crimes
Process and Results of Investigations
Criminal/Civil violations: We refer criminal/civil violations to Department of Justice officials, who may decide to criminally prosecute offenders, seek civil remedies, or decline to move forward with the case. If DOJ takes on the case, possible remedies include incarceration, financial penalties and restitution, or other actions.
Administrative deficiencies: We report administrative deficiencies to DOE management for corrective actions, which may result in policy or procedural changes, employee disciplinary action, cancellation of contracts, grants or other agreements, recovery of funds, or suspension/debarment actions.
Cyber Crimes section: We proactively and reactively respond to complex computer crimes against DOE, including network intrusion, insider threats, and other issues, and support other OIG oversight efforts with computer forensics experts who gather, analyze, preserve, and ensure the integrity of computer data related to specific cases and other projects.