A bipartisan group of six House members has written to Defense Secretary Ash Carter demanding more than a “half-hearted” response from the Pentagon’s financial systems managers following a recent watchdog report showing continued use of government travel cards at casinos and strip clubs.
The Defense Department inspector general’s review of 30 cases of potential travel card abuse totaling $952,258 last year found that managers “did not take appropriate action when notified.” Even though many of the abusers repay the government for personal visits to entertainment emporiums during official travel, the report said, “DoD management did not consistently consider the security implications of improper personal use of the travel card.”
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, wrote that “the department has not taken steps to eliminate additional misuse of the government travel cards, initiated reviews for improper payments, or consistently considered the security implications of the misused travel cards. As a result, the government travel card program remains susceptible to continued waste and exploitation.”
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