Q: What’s with the stories detailing the abuse of government credit cards?
A: A recently released Government Accountability Office report reveals that some federal employees have abused and misused their government credit cards. These employees, who should be looking out for taxpayer money, instead turned in expense reports that look like a soap opera script. The abuse ranges from purchasing iPods that subsequently disappeared, lingerie from “Seduccion Boutique” for use during jungle training, and internet dating services. One employee even funneled $640,000 to her live-in boyfriend from 2000 to 2006. So, employees who were responsible for spending taxpayer dollars for official purposes were, in fact, foxes guarding the hen house. I’ve been looking into government credit card abuse since 2001, when I discovered problems at the Department of Defense. I thought I would soon find the bottom when I jumped into this figurative rabbit hole seven years ago, but like
Alice in Wonderland, I continue to be shocked at what we find the deeper we go. If federal agencies aren’t willing to hold their employees accountable, Congress will have to step in to protect taxpayer dollars. I’ve introduced legislation to curb these abuses three times in recent years. I hope this new report will put pressure on Congress and convince lawmakers that it’s time to act.
Q: How will your legislation handle these bad actors?
A: My legislation – The Government Credit Abuse Prevention Act – would require federal agencies to have penalties in place for abuse and fraudulent use of government credit cards. The bill would require the Inspector General for each agency to conduct periodic audits to identify misuse or fraud. Possible abuse would be investigated and based on the evidence, serious violators would be fired. In addition, depending on the abuse or fraud, some cases would be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Fixing this problem will take the threat of serious consequences for bad actors. Those managing government agencies have dropped the ball. Legislation is needed in order to send a message. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee recognized the need for Congress to take action when it passed my legislation in April. I hope the full Senate will now act quickly to make sure more taxpayer money isn’t wasted through government credit card abuse.