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I find it hard to believe that any person who has possession of a Government CC that is to be used for approved travel expenditures only; is unaware that use for anything else is fraud.

Why would any agency have the need to have a policy in place that outlines approved use for the card?

Any honest person knows the difference.

The missue cited is nothing more than fraud.

The only appropriate action authorities should persue is through the Courts.

"The auditors found the department has no policy for disciplining workers over the misuse of cards and is inconsistent when it does punish them. In most cases, the agency either suspends the worker for a few days, sends a letter of reprimand, restricts travel or requires the employee to undergo counseling.
Julie Quick, a department spokeswoman, said administrators were informed which cardholders have been misusing the cards and expects them to be reprimanded.
Quick said she isn't aware of whether any employees were fired but said workers are being advised how to use the cards properly.
Also, credit limits have been lowered and cash advances restricted, she said, "but the important point for us is that we've established an across-the-board zero tolerance for misuse of the cards."
Clyde Thompson, the department's associate assistant secretary for administration, agreed to the audit's findings in a written response and said new policies to guard against credit card abuse will be fully implemented by February. Some of the new policies will go into effect by September and November this year, he said.

"We also will remind employees that travel card misuse is a serious offense, and USDA will take action against employees who abuse government credit cards," Thompson wrote. He did not specify the types of penalties that employees would face."

Another link about this story does a better job of addressing the action taken against these criminals:

http://208.62.120.191/ecp/national_ap/article/0,1626,ECP_746_2104783,00.html

These people should spend time in jail. You miss a dime on your taxes and the IRS will be all over it. Meanwhile, things like this are allowed to happen.