Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, wrote a letter to the Office of Personnel Management expressing concerns about the potential conflict of interest posed by OPM’s dual role as competitor and regulator in the federal talent acquisition market, Federal News Network reported Monday.
“Aside from its role as a regulator of agency compliance with federal hiring laws and regulations, OPM sells hiring-related services to those agencies which it oversees via USA Staffing, even though there are many private firms that assist both the private and public sector with hiring and related human capital acquisition activities,” Comer wrote in a March 22 letter to OPM Director Kiran Ahuja.
The letter also raised concerns over USA Staffing’s advantage with its access to OPM policy decisions and planned software updates in advance of private competitors and cybersecurity issues associated with the staffing service.
Chuck Young, managing director for public affairs at the Government Accountability Office, told FNN in an email that GAO is working on a report that examines how OPM oversees the USA Staffing service. The report is expected to be released later this year.
