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More info from http://www.news-leader.com/today/0512-Taxpayersf-85774.html:

According to the GAO report:

• Of 463 federal officials identified with bogus degrees, 257 are employed at the Department of Defense.

• The Energy Department had the second-largest number of employees with bogus degrees — 35. Next was the U.S. Postal Service, with 29, and the Department of Transportation, with 17. The report did not identify officials by name.

• Government officials who obtained bogus degrees included energy officials with "emergency operations responsibilities" and officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration with security clearances.

• GAO's inspector general reviewed its own employees and none was found to have fake degrees. "We're clean," said GAO spokesman Jeff Nelligan.

• A review of federal payments made to just two of 137 suspected diploma mills between July 2003 through February 2004 found that taxpayers paid $169,470 for fraudulent courses and degrees.

• Five of the diploma mills cited in the report took in at least $111 million in revenue between 1995 through 2000.

Thanks for info, I am "upset" to realize that someone approved the payment of gov't funds for these degrees. There needs to be a list of bonafide colleges, so that hiring only people with degrees from the ones on list are acceptable in governement agencies.

Any college receiving new accredidation should have to apply and show they are, in fact, eligible to be put on list. That would eliminate the need to research on an individual basis, which a lot of employers do not do. It could be on a website which civilian employers could use also, so they get qualified people.....maybe some companies might stay in business if right people are in charge.

Many taxpayer grants go to business who go into bankruptcy based on poor management...this is far reaching. I wonder how many people who got US Grants were attending bogus colleges, as many taxpayer dollars go for research grants?? That means that congressional decisions based on research could be misled...sounds scary doesn't it? What about all those "enviromental grants" that are used to determine where we should or should not look for oil, what are qualifications of those who determine what we do and where with environmental money????

OH, I forgot to ask, aren't we going to do something about the fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars, and what about prosecution of obtaining these jobs through fraud? Are the people responsible...did they know these universties/colleges were bogus, or were they attending in good faith? I think we need to hold someone responsible! Do you know if anything is going to be done??