Auditors to look into Federal Protective Service finances (8/9/06)

"The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has hired financial consultants to conduct an audit of the cash-strapped Federal Protective Service.

Senate appropriators recently rejected a Homeland Security Department request to shift $42 million to address a budget shortfall at FPS. In a July 20 letter explaining that decision, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said the requested shift would represent an inadequate, short-term solution to the agency's funding issues.

Gregg, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, said any new request should include details on how FPS, which is housed within ICE, plans to fix its finances in the long term.

A source familiar with FPS' operations said Julie Myers, ICE assistant secretary, recently circulated a memorandum announcing the agency's hiring of a consultant to audit FPS. The source declined to offer further details about the memo. "