VA staff spent $2.6b on agency credit cards-Bills at casinos, posh retailers investigated

[babylonsister]

Support the troops :argh::argh:

VA staff spent $2.6b on agency credit cards
Bills at casinos, posh retailers investigated
By Hope Yen
Associated Press / April 7, 2008


WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs employees last year racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in government credit-card bills at casino and luxury hotels, movie theaters, and high-end retailers such as Sharper Image and Franklin Covey, and government auditors are investigating.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Associated Press obtained the agency's list of 3.1 million purchases made in the 2007 budget year. The list provides a detailed look into staff spending at the government's second-largest agency.

The agency's employees charged $2.6 billion to their government credit cards last year. By and large, the list reveals few outward signs of questionable spending, with hundreds of purchases at prosthetic, orthopedic, and other medical supply stores.

But there are multiple charges that have caught the eye of government investigators.

At least 13 purchases totaling $8,471 were charged at Sharper Image, a specialty store that sells high-tech electronics and gizmos such as robotic dogs. In addition, 19 charges worth $1,999.56 were made at Franklin Covey, which sells leather totes and planners for corporate executives.

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/04/07/va_staff_spent_26b_on_agency_credit_cards/

[CatWoman]

1. I'm with Health and Human Services

and we bought some Franklin Covey stuff, too :scared:

[babylonsister]

3. Sounds like nice stuff; I hope you got something.

:hi: I don't know what the government standard might/should be, but I'm taking it that Franklin Covey isn't it.

[CatWoman]

5. Covey teaches the course "The Ten Habits of Highly Effectual People"

and those planning notebooks are very, very nice :)

:hi:

[midnight]

2. Were do I start my disgust. What is the disconnect for these

people? I guess a list of names, and who appointed them to these positions would be a good start to understand how this disaster was ignited.

[babylonsister]

4. How about a list of who broke the rules? The government has rules

for everything, including what CC's should and should not be used for. Or how about, who broke the law? :grr:

[elehhhhna]

6. prosthetic, orthopedic, and other medical suppl(ies) ? WTH???

did they buy Chertie a heart or something?