Federal auditors at the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) have identified approximately **$2 million in questioned costs** across multiple audits of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants—funds intended to support services for crime victims nationwide.
The questionable costs stem from several recent audits of state and local agencies administering VOCA grants, which are funded through the Crime Victims Fund (CVF). Established in 1984, CVF is financed entirely by federal criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments—not taxpayer dollars.
The audits revealed troubling patterns of financial mismanagement, including:
- Unsupported expenditures lacking adequate documentation
- Improper reimbursements
- Unallowable spending outside approved budgets
- Inadequate monitoring of subrecipients
The DOJ OIG examined multiple grant programs across several states. One audit reviewed three victim assistance formula grants totaling nearly $84 million awarded to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for fiscal years 2020–2022. Another audit of victim assistance funds used by the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center identified **$467,712 in net questioned costs** related to unsupported gift card purchases and improperly allocated administrative costs. An audit of Wisconsin's Department of Justice found **$196,499 in unallowable or unsupported expenditures**, including administrative costs and subrecipient matching funds.
Other audits identified smaller but still significant issues, with questioned costs ranging from roughly $93,000 to $125,000 per grant program, often tied to insufficient personnel documentation and improperly compensated claims.
These findings arrive amid significant tension over VOCA funding. The Trump administration has recently moved to cut or reallocate crime victims grants, prompting lawsuits from multiple states. In one high-profile case, a coalition of 21 attorneys general sued the Justice Department for allegedly withholding $1 billion in VOCA grants.
The audits highlight persistent weaknesses in grant compliance and oversight. Since 2015, Congress has allocated $10 million annually from VOCA funds specifically for DOJ OIG audits to assess risks and deficiencies in program management—suggesting long-standing concerns about accountability.
The nearly $2 million in questioned costs, while a fraction of total VOCA disbursements, raises serious questions about whether victim services funding is reaching its intended beneficiaries efficiently. Critics argue the findings could be used to justify further cuts to victim assistance programs, while defenders of the grants point to the essential services they provide—compensation, counseling, emergency shelter, and legal advocacy—to millions of crime victims each year.
The DOJ OIG has recommended that grant administrators strengthen internal controls, improve documentation requirements, and enhance oversight of subrecipients to prevent future misuse of funds.
The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early Saturday morning, cementing President Donald Trump's former personal attorney's command of a Justice Department the Republican president has sought to bend to his will.
The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies. While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the Trump administration's agenda even more aggressively.
The vote followed a tumultuous confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns — from some Republicans as well as Democrats — about installing Trump's close ally atop a Justice Department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House.
In the end, Blanche was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, opposed by two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — and by every Democrat.
