JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Treasury is seeking to recoup COVID-19 pandemic relief funds from hundreds of local governments that received millions of dollars but never complied with requirements to report how they used the money.
The federal government distributed $350 billion to state, local, territorial and tribal governments as part of the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress and President Joe Biden in 2021. More than 30,000 governments, from the largest state to the tiniest town, were to get a share.
Governments had until the end of 2024 to obligate the money for specific projects and were supposed to file either quarterly or annual progress reports, depending on their population and how much money they received. Most complied. But as of January, about 1,000 mostly smaller governments had failed to file any reports with the Treasury detailing how they used a total of $139 million, according to an analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
A GAO report released last week said the Treasury sent notices to the local governments seeking to recoup the money.
As of June 24, a total of 740 local governments subsequently filed reports and will no longer be subject to repaying their funds, the Treasury said in a letter attached to the GAO report. Thirteen governments returned their funds to the Treasury. But that still left 235 local governments that had never filed a report nor returned their pandemic relief funds.
The GAO told The Associated Press it does not have list of the specific governments that haven't complied with the reporting requirements. The Treasury has not responded to an AP request for a list of the 13 governments that returned their funds and those that still haven't reported how they used it.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about governments failing to disclose how they used their pandemic relief funds.
The GAO reported in October 2023 that the Treasury had sent noncompliance notices to more than 3,500 local governments that hadn't filed progress reports on their pandemic relief funds. The Treasury at that time declined to provide the noncompliance letters to the AP. So the AP in January 2024 submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking copies of the noncompliance notices and related correspondence. The Treasury still has not fulfilled that request.
In its most recent report, the GAO said the failure of local governments to file regular progress reports is limiting the Treasury’s ability to determine whether they are spending the funds on allowable uses.
FILE - The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Lucas Pettersson and Eddie Genborg each scored twice and Sweden beat the United States 6-3 on Wednesday night in the world junior hockey championship to complete group play unbeaten.
Casper Juustovaara opened the scoring in the first period on a deflection, and the Swedes led 5-1 in the second period in the Group A finale. Ivar Stenberg scored in the third, and Love Harenstam made 28 saves.
“We knew it would be hard game,” Swedish forward Milton Gastrin said. “They were better at the start, but we kept it together and took over a bit in the second and scored some goals. We played like a team the whole way, and I think we did that better than they did, which is probably why we won.”
In the quarterfinals Friday, Sweden will face Latvia, and the second-place Americans will play Finland, a 7-4 loser to Canada later Wednesday night in the Group B finale in Minneapolis. Canada will play Slovakia, and Czechia will meet Switzerland.
Chase Reid, Will Zellers and Teddy Stiga scored for the United States. Brady Knowling stopped 23 shots in his tournament debut before giving way to Nick Kempf. The Americans lost for the first time in four games in the tournament.
“They’re a pretty good team and we didn’t play our best,” Reid said. “We’ll see them again, and we’ll get them back. I feel like we can play the same way, but we didn’t bring our best game tonight. We took a lot of undisciplined penalties that we didn’t need to take, but it’s a learning lesson and we’ll come back stronger.”
In the late game at the University of Minnesota, Cole Beaudoin had two goals and an assist for Canada.
“You watch this tournament, and you watch this game specifically on New Year’s Eve with your family, so means a lot,” Beaudoin said.
Brady Martin also scored twice, and Zayne Parekh had a goal and two assists. The 19-year-old Parekh has appeared in 12 games for the Calgary Flames.
Earlier, Switzerland beat Slovakia 3-2 to finish third in Group A, and Chechia topped Latvia 4-2 in Group B for its third straight win since an opening loss to Canada.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Finland's Roope Vesterinen (10) skates with the puck while Canada's Gavin McKenna (9) and Zayne Parekh (19) defend during second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada goaltender Carter George (30) makes a save on Finland's Joona Saarelainen (12) during first period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Tij Iginla (11) celebrates his goal with teammates after scoring in second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action against Finland in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Cole Beaudoin (26) celebrates his goal with teammates after scoring in second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action against Finland in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Finland's Roope Vesterinen (10) skates with the puck while Canada's Gavin McKenna (9) and Zayne Parekh (19) defend during second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada goaltender Carter George (30) makes a save on Finland's Joona Saarelainen (12) during first period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Tij Iginla (11) celebrates his goal with teammates after scoring in second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action against Finland in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Cole Beaudoin (26) celebrates his goal with teammates after scoring in second period IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action against Finland in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
Team Czechia celebrates after defeating Latvia in IIHF World Junior Championship hockey action in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
