On May 6, 2015, a report was released detailing how Department of Defense (DOD) employees use government issued credit cards to pay for escorts and gambling entertainment. These flagrant actions by pentagon employees should lead to consequent new warnings from department officials.
According to one official, the audit finds that from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, DOD credit cardholders logged 4,437 transactions totaling near $1 million dollars at casinos; they also logged 900 transactions totaling near $1 million dollars at adult entertainment establishments. A Pentagon official states the report is not finished, and more details will soon come out.
A 2012 law proposed by Republican Chuck Grassley called the Government Charge Cared Abuse Prevention Act, mandates all federal agencies to strengthen oversight of purchases on government-issued cards. Grassley shared some comments saying, “I’m interested to see the report and find out more about what’s being done, right and wrong, at the Department of Defense to prevent abuse. What I hope is that my reforms that become law have been implemented well and that agencies and auditors are using the reforms to catch problems”.
Fortunately, while this decree is in place to eschew abuse of taxpayer property, some problems are being detected. After charging $800,000 dollars to the Bureau of Land Management for personal gift cards, three employees were terminated from the Department of Homeland Security. Plus, Job Corps employees were caught charging close to $100,000 dollars to government for personal cellphone services, clothing and haircuts. Other examples of government worker inefficiencies is federal associates purchasing iPods, internet dating services and an exorbitant $13,000 steak and liquor dinner, according to a government document. And the last case I will mention is from the U.S. Forest Service. Debra Durfey was guilty of writing several thousands of dollars in government checks for personal car and house expenses. So in 2015, Pentagon employees should know not to use government cards for entertainment.
Some of the mentioned items were verified by a Pentagon official but stressed the government did not pay for the charges. The person says they paid their own bills and did not attempt to be reimbursed. The full story should be released very soon.
SOURCE: THE NATIONAL JOURNAL
