Pentagon Fails Eighth Consecutive Audit Despite Massive Funding Hike

The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General identified 26 "material weaknesses" in financial reporting and five distinct instances of noncompliance with federal laws and contract agreements. Among the most glaring oversights were accounting omissions within the Joint Strike Fighter Program, where the agency failed to properly track assets in the Global Spares Pool.

Despite these persistent failures, the Department of Defense remains the only federal agency yet to pass an independent, department-wide audit. The findings have ignited fresh criticism from lawmakers, including Representative Pramila Jayapal, who condemned the practice of funneling billions into an agency that cannot account for its spending while domestic needs go unmet. Pentagon Chief Financial Officer Jules W. Hurst III stated the department is targeting 2028 to achieve a clean audit opinion, even as President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, pushing total annual military spending over the $1 trillion mark.