by Dave Williams | Aug 23, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Justice Department is suing Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Corp. for failing to follow cybersecurity requirements governing federal contracts.
The federal lawsuit follows a whistleblower suit current and former members of the university’s cybersecurity team brought against the school and its research corporation.
The complaint alleges that at least since 2019, Georgia Tech has had no enforcement mechanisms in place for contracts with the Defense Department. Instead, the university routinely gave in to the demands of “star researchers” who were treated like “star quarterbacks” because they were bringing in large government contracts.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims the Astrolavos Lab at Georgia Tech failed to develop and implement a required system security plan setting out cybersecurity requirements. Even when Astrolavos did implement a plan, it fell short of including all covered laptops, desktops, and servers.
Additionally, the lab failed to install, update, or operate anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers, and networks. Georgia Tech and its research corporation then submitted a fraudulent cybersecurity assessment score to the feds, the suit alleges.
“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats by malicious actors,” said Ryan Buchanan, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved.”
Georgia Tech disputed the allegations in a statement, arguing the lawsuit is “entirely off base” and vowing to defend the university’s position in court.
“This case has nothing to do with confidential information or protected government secrets,” the university stated. “The government told Georgia Tech that it was conducting research that did not require cybersecurity restrictions, and the government itself publicized Georgia Tech’s groundbreaking research findings. In fact, in this case, there was no breach of information, and no data leaked.”
by Dave Williams | Aug 22, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia Board of Community Health approved a $5.7 billion budget request for fiscal 2026 Thursday for the agency that runs the state’s Medicaid program.
That represents a $347 million increase over the Department of Community Health’s (DCH) current spending plan, which took effect last month.
While Georgia’s aged, blind, and disabled populations account for the largest number of Medicaid enrollees, most of the spending increase – $287 million – would go toward low-income Medicaid recipients, primarily women and children.
The DCH is projecting a significant increase in Medicaid enrollment later this year and next year with the end of the federal redetermination process, Joe Hood, the agency’s chief operating officer, told board members Thursday.
The federal government prohibited disenrolling any Medicaid recipients during the COVID pandemic. When the national public health emergency was declared at an end in April of last year, states began reassessing eligibility for Medicaid coverage.
As a result, Medicaid enrollment in Georgia declined. However, a surge in enrollment is expected to start later this fiscal year moving into fiscal 2026, which takes effect next July.
“Enrollment is what is really driving our budget request,” Hood said.
The fiscal 2026 budget request board members approved Thursday also includes increases for nursing home operations and prescription drugs.
The DCH will submit the proposed spending plan to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget later this year. Gov. Brian Kemp will present his budget recommendations to the General Assembly in January.
by Dave Williams | Aug 22, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Nearly two dozen current or former inmates in the state prison system as well as outside conspirators have been charged with using drones to deliver illegal drugs and cellphones inside prison walls.
Two federal indictments unsealed Wednesday accuse the 23 defendants of taking part in two networks of inmates and outside conspirators that delivered large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana as well as cellphones and other contraband to Smith State Prison in Glennville, Telfair State Prison in McRae and various other state prisons. The conspiracies began as early as 2019 and continued through last month.
The indictments follow investigations spearheaded by Operation Night Drop, an effort mounted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Department of Corrections Criminal Investigation and Intelligence divisions, working with multiple local law-enforcement agencies.
“These indictments indicate networks of individuals determined to introduce into prisons controlled substances and other contraband that compromise the safety and security of individuals who are held in those facilities and those employed there,” said Jill Steinberg, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“We’re grateful to the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose cooperative work unraveled these criminal operations.”
The primary charge in each indictment, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine, carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison, along with substantial fines and at least five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
Some of the defendants also were charged with unlawful use of a communication facility for using cellphones to coordinate the delivery and sale of the drugs. Text messages and Facebook posts included aerial images of prisons, drug quantities and prices, and photos of drones, drugs, and material and equipment used for packaging contraband.
The indictments include notices that the government is seeking the forfeiture of 10 drones and 21 firearms seized during the investigation.
by Dave Williams | Aug 21, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Chronic delays in mail processing and delivery Georgians have been experiencing for months have cropped up again in connection with federal tax payments.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., launched an inquiry Wednesday with the Internal Revenue Service after hearing from constituents who are being charged penalties and interest fees on late or missing payments they mailed to the IRS on time.
“These tax filings are not arriving by statutory deadlines due to ongoing USPS (United States Postal Service) performance issues, and some filings even remain unaccounted for,” Ossoff wrote in a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.
“Additionally, many of my constituents continue to experience financial hardships as a result of tax refund processing delays arising from ongoing problems with USPS management in Georgia.”
Ossoff questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy at a Senate committee hearing in April after receiving reports that only 36% of inbound mail processed by the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center was being delivered on time.
DeJoy blamed the delays on problems rolling out a USPS restructuring plan aimed at making the postal service financially self-sufficient and better able to compete with private shippers. He moved to address the delays by bringing more than 100 employees from other mail processing centers to the Atlanta-area facility in Palmetto and revising transportation schedules between the regional center and other processing centers to increase local trips.
In June, DeJoy reported that on-time mail delivery was improving, but Georgians continued to complain about delays sending and receiving mail.
Ossoff is urging the IRS to waive penalties and interest fees incurred as a direct result of USPS delays, adjust taxpayer accounts in a timely manner so penalties and fees don’t accumulate, and to accelerate the processing of tax refunds for filers affected by the USPS delays.
by Dave Williams | Aug 21, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Local election officials across Georgia urged the State Election Board Wednesday to stop changing election rules so close to the November election.
Members of the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials are worried that significant changes to the rules such as those the Republican-controlled board has adopted in recent weeks will disrupt preparations already underway for absentee, early, and Election Day voting.
“We are already in the midst of extensive training preparation for our poll workers and preparing for one of the biggest and most scrutinized elections in years,” Travis Doss Jr., the association’s president, wrote in a prepared statement.
“Any last-minute changes to the rules risk undermining the public’s trust in the electoral process and place undue pressure on the individuals responsible for managing the polls and administering the election. This could ultimately lead to errors or delays in voting, which is the last thing anyone wants.”
The board’s three Republican members voted this week to require local election officials to submit to the secretary of state a report reconciling the total number of ballots cast in each precinct with the total number of voters who received credit for voting before election results can be certified.
That 3-2 vote followed another change the board approved by an identical margin two weeks ago giving local election officials the discretion to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” if they have doubts that election results are accurate before certifying those results.
In both cases, opponents have argued that certifying election results is a non-discretionary function that county election superintendents must perform.
Democrats have charged Republicans with pushing the rules changes to sow chaos in Georgia’s elections if former President Donald Trump fails to carry the Peach State and put the results in doubt. Republicans have countered that they’re simply taking steps to ensure the integrity of elections.
The State Election Board is expected to consider additional GOP-backed election rules changes at its next meeting Sept. 20.
