Treasury watchdog is auditing airline aid to smaller carriers

The Treasury Department’s internal watchdog is auditing a $32b package of aid earmarked to support employees at passenger airlines, cargo carriers and related contractors included in the $2.2t coronavirus stimulus package. The probe will review documentation detailing salaries, wages and other information submitted to the Treasury under the payroll aid program by carriers, typically smaller ones that don’t normally report that information to the DoT. The inspector general’s office at Treasury will assess the implementation of the program in addition to documentation submitted by carriers seeking the aid, among other issues, according to a March 30 memo tweeted Tuesday by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee of inspectors generals throughout the federal government. The audit was opened as part of oversight required in the stimulus legislation, according to the memo, which did not specify any complaints about the payroll aid had been made.<br/>