Abuse of Education Dept. Credit Cards

U.S. Department of Education employees inappropriately used government credit cards to purchase $49,500 worth of goods and services, including meals, items at clothing stores and rental cars, for personal use, according to a review by the department's inspector general.

Auditors examining a sample of business travel expenses for fiscal 2006 found $18,256 in inappropriate charges made by 34 employees. The charges included payments to clothing retailers and restaurants near their homes or office.
Twenty-nine people used bank cards to withdraw about $17,600 more than allowed under the department's travel allowance for meals and incidentals. Four department workers made $13,570 in bank card withdrawals when they weren't on business travel. One logged 44 withdrawals totaling $8,560.

It could not be determined yesterday whether employees paid for the personal expenses they charged. The cards are issued to individual employees who are responsible for paying the bills but then seek reimbursement.

The July 1 report calls on the department to improve oversight of travel charge cards, which are only to be used for official travel, including to schools, conferences and training. "Inappropriate use of the travel card . . . represents abuse of a Government-provided resource, and compromises the integrity of the Department," the report says.

Employees questioned said they inadvertently used the cards to pay for personal expenses or charged meals at local restaurants with other department officials, the report says.

Auditors found that some employees were reimbursed for airfare and meals that had already been paid for with department funds. In addition, employees did not always provide proper documentation or explanations of costs.
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