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EPA Employees Used Gov’t Purchase Card to Spend $14,985 on Fitness Memberships
freebeacon.com ^ | 2/26/17 | Ali Meyer

Posted on 02/26/2017 7:59:24 AM PST by ColdOne

Environmental Protection Agency employees used their government purchase cards to spend $14,985 on fitness memberships, according to an audit by the inspector general of the agency.

With the goal of assessing the risk of illegal, improper, and erroneous purchases made on the EPA's purchase card, the auditors evaluated 18 transactions totaling $48,345 and found that none of them complied with any of the internal controls that were tested.

Some of these controls require that officials give approval, that records be properly placed in the vendor's banking system, and that transactions be reviewed by the card holder within 10 days of posting.

The auditors found that 2 of the 18 transactions, totaling $14,985, were for fitness memberships. Three other transactions were made to vendors who were considered high risk, which requires further documentation for review.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: epa
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1 posted on 02/26/2017 7:59:24 AM PST by ColdOne
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To: ColdOne
the auditors evaluated 18 transactions totaling $48,345 and found that none of them complied with any of the internal controls

Extrapolate this result to every other transaction at every agency covering gazillions of dollars. The only way to "fix" it is to eliminate departments, zero-out budgets, fire or pension off employees.

2 posted on 02/26/2017 8:02:11 AM PST by Tax-chick ("I prefer to think of myself as ... civilized." ~Jonathan Q. Higgins)
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To: ColdOne

The EPA will be loosing weight real soon. Alot of fat liberals will be removed!!


3 posted on 02/26/2017 8:03:11 AM PST by WENDLE (Watch this on John McCain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO0mHEJyC3Y)
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To: ColdOne

The US taxpayers could save billions by shutting down the EPA. Use the money to build the Trump Wall and save even more billions by not feeding, housing, educating and incarcerating illegal aliens. We are not tired of winning, Mr. President!


4 posted on 02/26/2017 8:03:34 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: ColdOne
So what? Unless the government "worker" perps are arrested, fined and fired...SO WHAT??? Otherwise, it is corrupt government business-as-usual.
5 posted on 02/26/2017 8:03:55 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation camp?)
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To: Tax-chick

Right, but first - criminally charge these morons.


6 posted on 02/26/2017 8:04:33 AM PST by bigbob (We have better coverage than Verizon - Can You Hear Us Now?)
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To: ColdOne

Every government credit card should be immediately cancelled and only reissued after an audit of each card holder.


7 posted on 02/26/2017 8:04:37 AM PST by The Free Engineer
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To: ColdOne

It takes endurance shutting down all those businesses.

Pray America woke


8 posted on 02/26/2017 8:07:29 AM PST by bray (Pray for President Trump)
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To: Tax-chick

I would see this as an excellent opportunity to remove those employees for fiduciary malfeasance, and use the technique to get rid of hundreds or thousands more besides.


9 posted on 02/26/2017 8:08:40 AM PST by ichabod1 (The Wise Cracker)
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To: ColdOne
Would love to see each one charged but we all know each of them would plead ... environmentally ill 😷
10 posted on 02/26/2017 8:09:24 AM PST by no-to-illegals (The truth If America Cared would a moslem cair?)
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To: hal ogen; bigbob

It’s unlikely that they’ll lose their jobs. They might be “counseled” about following procedures a little better for a little while.


11 posted on 02/26/2017 8:10:17 AM PST by Tax-chick ("I prefer to think of myself as ... civilized." ~Jonathan Q. Higgins)
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To: ichabod1

Like teachers, many Federal employees are covered by union contracts that make it nearly impossible to fire them, no matter what.


12 posted on 02/26/2017 8:11:26 AM PST by Tax-chick ("I prefer to think of myself as ... civilized." ~Jonathan Q. Higgins)
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To: ColdOne

When I worked as a sales rep for a major US corporation, we had to submit an expense report to get reimbursed for weekly costs in the field. Tight scrutiny prevented any cheating.

I suspect Trump has such an approach in his biz.


13 posted on 02/26/2017 8:12:32 AM PST by Utah Binger (Xeroid Alumni hiding in the high desert)
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To: ColdOne

Fire their azzes,.....


14 posted on 02/26/2017 8:16:45 AM PST by Doogle (( USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thaicland..never store a threat you should have eliminated)))
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To: ColdOne
the auditors evaluated 18 transactions totaling $48,345...

The auditors found that 2 of the 18 transactions, totaling $14,985, were for fitness memberships.

2 fitness memberships cost around $7,500 each?

15 posted on 02/26/2017 8:19:45 AM PST by libertarian27 (FR Cookbooks - On Profile Page)
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To: Tax-chick

Can’t be fired, eh? Then pull the cards and garnish their wages until it’s all paid back. Make them now use their personal cards and submit expense reports for reimbursement.


16 posted on 02/26/2017 8:23:27 AM PST by polymuser (There's a yuuuge basket of deportables.)
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To: polymuser

When I was a typist for the Army Corps of Engineers, many years ago, the procedure was for every transaction to be examined before reimbursement was approved. Not anymore.

I believe the reasoning was that it cost less, in the big picture, to pay for people’s trips to Vegas and gym memberships than to employ regiments of “Voucher Examiners” in every agency.


17 posted on 02/26/2017 8:27:28 AM PST by Tax-chick ("I prefer to think of myself as ... civilized." ~Jonathan Q. Higgins)
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To: ColdOne

My question: is it a government card issued to a civil servant, or is it to the an organization? The bureaucracy in management still has to approve. That makes a big differences as well. I dont know if EPA’s credit cards work the same as my organization. But the government doesn’t pay the card’s balance due. The bill is sent to my name and home address, and my credit is impacted if I do not pay the balance. I am reimbursed directly from the government for “approved expenses” that I claim. I must pay all expenses on my card whether they have been refunded by the government or not (and the government is not always timely). I cannot use my personal credit card on official business, and I do not know who collects the kickbacks from the government credit card companies. Rumor is that it goes to some house member’s favored constituent(s).


18 posted on 02/26/2017 8:29:15 AM PST by Swirl
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To: no-to-illegals

LOL!


19 posted on 02/26/2017 8:30:14 AM PST by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: ColdOne

These people NEVER pay it back. It’s a scam and also how they spend all their budget money, millions in each agency and not even a slap on the wrist. Criminals.


20 posted on 02/26/2017 8:34:05 AM PST by DCmarcher-976453
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