By Johnny Kampis | Missouri Watchdog
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill
JEFFERSON CITY — U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s office has found that dozens of General Services Administration employees under investigation for misconduct received more than $1 million in bonuses since 2008.
“It doesn’t pass the smell test to be awarding huge bonuses in taxpayer dollars to officials who are being investigated, or have already been found responsible, for fraud and waste of those very taxpayer dollars,” said McCaskill in a statement.
The Democrat from Missouri, who is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, plans to investigate bonuses paid by other federal agencies.
The Obama administration disclosed in April that top GSA leaders were fired following an investigation by the Inspector General’s Office into a 2010 GSA conference in Las Vegas that cost the agency $823,000. The Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said GSA has a “culture of wasteful spending.”
The GSA bonus list includes 84 individuals listed by title, with no names revealed. They received an average of eight bonuses each.
GSA has no policies to ensure employees under investigation by the Inspector General’s Office do not receive bonuses, McCaskill found.
She announced her Accountability in Government Act in April to install new accountability measures among federal agencies. A provision of the bill would bar agencies from giving bonuses to employees the Inspector General’s Office is investigating.
McCaskill is seeking re-election in November.
