Sen. Carper Statement on DOD OIG Report on DOD Travel Card Misuse

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement in response to a new Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General Report that details how some employees at the Department of Defense misused government-issued credit cards to gamble and pay for adult entertainment. The report, “DOD Cardholders Used Their Government Travel Cards for Personal Use at Casinos and Adult Entertainment Establishments” (DODIG-2015-125) details examples of more than a hundred thousand dollars in improper use, as well as specific improvements to DOD policies and procedures in order to prevent future misuse.

“The Inspector General’s report detailing inappropriate use of government travel cards within the Department of Defense is deeply troubling – and inexcusable,” said Sen. Carper. “It’s clear that the Pentagon can and should take immediate steps to prevent future misuse of travel cards. The Department should also ensure the recovery of any inappropriate payments or reimbursements. The good news is that the Inspector General’s report outlines several recommendations that can quickly be implemented by not only the Department of Defense, but also other federal agencies. I will work with my colleagues to make sure that the Department takes swift and significant action to identify misuse and prevent future abuse of travel credit cards, and also see if these lessons learned can be applied across the federal government.”

Sen. Carper cosponsored the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act, which was signed into law in October 2012 (PL 112-194). The Act, which was introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) required agencies to institute better controls on government charge cards and appropriately discipline employees found to misuse cards, and it required IGs to periodically conduct risk assessments of charge card programs. Sen. Carper has also asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate inappropriate and wasteful spending practices using charge cards across all government agencies.
 

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