A soon to be released government audit says the Navy, in an attempt to reduce costs, let down its guard to risks posed by outside contractors at the Navy Yard and other facilities, a federal official with access to the report tells TIME.
The Navy “did not effectively mitigate access control risks associated with contractor installation access,” at Navy Yard and other Navy installations, the report by the Department of Defense Inspector General’s office says. Parts of the audit were read to TIME by a federal official with access to the document.
The risks resulted from an attempt by Navy officials “to reduce access control costs,” the report finds.
The audit comes as questions are emerging about how the alleged perpetrator, or perpetrators, of the attack at the Navy Yard in Washington DC Monday gained access to the facility. At least 13 people are dead in the attack, including the alleged attacker, Aaron Alexis.
