GAO: Millions wasted on gov't cards (for internet dating,lavish dinners,lingerie, etc.)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 4/8/08 | Hope Yen - ap

[NormsRevenge]

_At the State Department, one credit-card holder bought $360 worth of women's lingerie at Seduccion Boutique for use during jungle training by trainees of a drug enforcement program in Ecuador. One State Department official later agreed that the charge was questionable and stated that he would not have approved the purchase had he known about it.

[NormsRevenge]

Out of a sample of purchases totaling $2.7 million, the government could not account for hundreds of laptop computers, iPods and digital cameras worth more than $1.8 million. In one case, the U.S. Army could not say what happened to computer items making up 16 server configurations, each of which cost nearly $100,000.

[Calpernia]

ROFL

Look at Norm’s highlight at post 2.

[MrB]

We should give the federal gov’t and its employees more money, more power and less oversight....

sayeth the left.

[big'ol_freeper]

While the idiots are violating the rules associated with the use of these credit cards it should be pointed out that the government is not responsible for the charges made on the cards, the individual is.

[firebrand]

Our Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs tax money.

God bless the GAO. One wonders how it got this far, however.

[NormsRevenge]

Pedestrians walk by a Sharper Image store in Beverly Hills, Calif. in this Feb. 27, 2008 file photo. 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 The Sharper Image and Franklin Covey - and government auditors are investigating, citing past spending abuses. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

[Traveler59]

They're painting a picture using a pretty broad brush. The 5 years that I was the approving official for 7 card holders on two different master accounts, I had to reconcile every purchase every month down to the last penny. I was audited annually by the finance Nazi's who questioned every purchase that I approved. I can't speak for the other services, but the Air Force generally has a tight reign on the use of the Government Purchase Card.

-Traveler

[GOP_Raider]

women's lingerie at Seduccion Boutique for use during jungle training

LOLOL, Jungle training...the advantages of having an immature mind. :)

[RC2]

Go back to the Clinton Admin.....how much was spent then? Maybe we don’t want to know.

[acapesket]

SHOCKED!......NOT.
Is there Any Gov”t Employee who isn’t in a pig trough Union?
Are these same Weaselly employees NOT protected from being fired or even reprimanded?

I just wanna PUKE!

[RC2]

Go back to the Clinton Admin.....how much was spent then? Maybe we don’t want to know.

[firebrand]

If that is true, why is additional tax money going to GAO investigations of this?

Or are the individuals responsible only once they get caught?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

["one credit-card holder bought $360 worth of women's lingerie at Seduccion Boutique for use during jungle training by trainees of a drug enforcement program in Ecuador."]

[avenir]

Government has no intention of ever really reforming itself.

[Calpernia]

>>>it should be pointed out that the government is not responsible for the charges made on the cards, the individual is.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1998755/posts?page=3#3

[Racer1]

They should fire all of them.

[HoosierHawk]

Can you imagine what would happen if we gave the federal government the responsibility and funding for national health care?

Oy!

[Fox_Mulder77]

ROTFLOL!!!

I guess the strategy was to lure the drug guys out of the jungle with a sexy woman wearing lingerie from “Seduction Boutique”