WASHINGTON, D.C.
In response to the revelation that the General Services Administration spent more than $800,000 on a conference—which led to a resignation and six firings—the U.S. Travel Association called for Congress to remember the value of meetings and respond to the issue appropriately rather than take draconian measures.
The findings of the IG report clearly detail instances of inappropriate spending and poor decision making on the part of federal employees,” said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “At a time when Washington is laser focused on creating jobs and curbing wasteful spending, we hope policy makers will remember that responsible travel can help accomplish these goals. We know through repeated studies that travel for face-to-face meetings increases worker productivity in the private and public sectors. We also know that meetings, conferences and events are critical to our economy and support 845,000 U.S. jobs."
The chief of the GSA resigned, two of her top deputies were fired and four managers were placed on leave amid reports of lavish spending at a conference off the Las Vegas Strip that featured a clown, a mind reader and a $31,208 reception.
Administrator Martha N. Johnson, in her resignation letter, acknowledged a “significant misstep” at the agency that manages real estate for the federal government. “Taxpayer dollars were squandered,” she wrote.
Public Buildings Service chief Robert A. Peck, a fixture in the Washington area real estate community on his second stint running the department, was forced out, along with Johnson’s top adviser, Stephen Leeds. Four GSA managers who organized the four-day conference in October 2010 have been placed on adminstrative leave, officials said.
The leadership collapse came hours before GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller released a scathing report on the $823,000 training conference, held for 300 West Coast employees at the M Resort and Casino, an opulent hotel in Henderson, Nev., just south of Las Vegas. From $130,000 in travel expenses for six scouting trips to a $2,000 party in Peck’s loft suite, event planners violated federal limits on conference spending.
Courtesy of The Washington Post
