• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • News
  • Topics
    • Common Sense
    • Congress
    • Debt
    • Government waste
    • Millenials
    • QuizCap
    • Taxes
  • Tools
    • Agencies
    • Memes That Matter
    • Research Library
    • Scavenger Hunt
  • Shop
  • What We’re About
  • Multimedia
  • What We’re About
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter signup
  • Give to the Cause

DOJ OIG: Review of the Debt Collection Program of the United States Attorneys’ Offices

June 1, 2015

Pursuit's Take

Collecting debts arising from criminal and civil cases is an important and enormous responsibility for the Department of Justice (Department). The Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAO) located throughout the country are primarily responsible for the enforcement and collection of debts owed to the United States and the victims of federal crimes. The USAOs have largely assigned this task to their Financial Litigation Units (FLU), though the USAOs’ Criminal Divisions and Asset Forfeiture units also play a role in coordinating with the FLUs to ensure that they can collect debts for victims and the federal government.

At the end of fiscal year (FY) 2014, the principal balance and interest owed on outstanding federal criminal and civil debts totaled $114.6 billion, with criminal debts accounting for about 89 percent of this total.

While the Department has indicated that the collection of debts owed to the United States and crime victims is a priority, the OIG found that, in many cases, USAOs have not put in place the policies and procedures or resources needed to make this a reality. Rather, we found that many USAOs have failed to prioritize debt collection activity and that this has resulted in insufficient staffing of both AUSA and support positions, as well as ineffective collaboration between the FLU and other units in the USAOs thus hindering the ability of the USAOs to fulfill their mission to collect debts.

Take Homes
Debt Collection Program of the United States Attorneys’ Offices

114.6 Billion Outstanding federal criminal and civil debts FY 2014
Read the full report Artboard 1

sidebar

sidebar-alt

Support Our Work

Federal agencies go largely unchecked, spending at will making use of inflated budgets. While some do very important work, we need to hold them accountable. You can do this by donating, emailing your legislator, or signing our petitions.

Donate Now

Sign Up for Pursuit Updates

Privacy Policy

Powered by the Foundation to Restore Accountability

Search
UNCOVER SOME GOVERNMENT WASTE?
share your opinion

Can you believe the US Government spends more money on it’s cable bill than on disaster relief?

NO! I’M FURIOUS! Eh, sounds right