Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Federal Reserve System Audits

The Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Banks, and the Federal Reserve System as a whole are all subject to several levels of audit and review.

The Board's financial statements and internal controls over financial reporting are audited annually by an independent outside auditor retained by the Board's Office of Inspector General (OIG). The outside auditor also tests the Board's compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, and contracts affecting those statements.

The Reserve Banks' financial statements are audited annually by an independent outside auditor retained by the Board of Governors. In addition, the Reserve Banks are subject to annual examination by the Board. As discussed in section 5, "Payment and Settlement Systems," the Board's examination includes a wide range of ongoing oversight activities conducted on site and off site by staff of the Board's Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems.

The audited annual financial statements of the Board of Governors, the Reserve Banks, and the Federal Reserve System as a whole are available on the Board's website at https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/audited-annual-financial-statements.htm.

In addition, the OIG conducts audits, evaluations, investigations, and other reviews relating to the Board's programs and operations as well as to Board functions delegated to the Reserve Banks. Certain aspects of Federal Reserve operations are also subject to review by the Government Accountability Office.

Office of Inspector General Activities

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Federal Reserve Board, which is also the OIG for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), operates in accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. The OIG plans and conducts audits, inspections, evaluations, investigations, and other reviews relating to Board and CFPB programs and operations, including functions that the Board has delegated to the Federal Reserve Banks. It also retains an independent public accounting firm to annually audit the Board's and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's financial statements. These activities promote economy and efficiency; enhance policies and procedures; and prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse. In addition, the OIG keeps the Congress, the Board of Governors, and the CFPB director fully informed about serious abuses and deficiencies.

During 2019, the OIG issued 14 reports (table 1) and 6 information technology-related memorandums to the Board and the CFPB. Because of the sensitive nature of some of the material, four of the six memorandums are nonpublic. The OIG also conducted follow-up reviews to evaluate actions taken on prior recommendations. Regarding the OIG's investigative work related to the Board and the CFPB, 34 investigations were opened and 33 investigations were closed during the year. OIG investigative work resulted in three arrests, two criminal complaints, five criminal informations, one indictment, six convictions, and one prohibition from the banking industry, as well as $417,838 in criminal fines and restitution. The OIG also issued its listings of major management challenges facing the Board and the CFPB, an OIG Insights paper on organizational governance, and two semiannual reports to Congress. The OIG performed approximately 33 reviews of legislation and regulations related to the operations of the Board, the CFPB, or the OIG.

For more information and to view the OIG's publications, visit the OIG's website at https://oig.federalreserve.gov. Specific details about the OIG's body of work also may be found in the OIG's Work Plan and semiannual reports to Congress.

Table 1. OIG reports issued in 2019

Government Accountability Office Reviews

Federal Reserve System Audits The Federal Banking Agency Audit Act (Pub. L. No. 95–320) authorizes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit certain aspects of Federal Reserve System operations. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 directs the GAO to conduct additional audits with respect to these operations. In 2019, the GAO completed 16 projects that involved the Federal Reserve (table 1). Twelve projects were ongoing as of December 31, 2019 (table 2).

For more information and to view GAO reports, visit the GAO's website at https://www.gao.gov.

Table 1. Reports completed during 2019

Table 2. Projects active at year-end 2019