"Congress demands probe into Pentagon’s $1 million strip club, casino bill"

2015-09-25T10:35:56-04:00

From: RT

Congress is asking the Pentagon’s watchdog for another probe into how the military racked up 5,000 charges at casinos and strip clubs totaling more than $1 million over the course of a year – and whether the government footed the tab.
In a memo released on Monday, the Pentagon inspector general said the Senate Armed Services Committee has requested an additional probe into the department’s excessive spending.

“Our objective is to determine whether (Defense Department) cardholders who used government travel cards at casinos and adult entertainment establishments for personal use sought or received reimbursement for the charges,” the memo said, according to Reuters.

The new investigation will target the Defense Travel Management Office in Virginia. It will determine how the expenses were covered and whether they were reimbursement by the government.

“We will determine whether disciplinary actions have been taken in cases of person use or if the misuse was reported to the appropriate security office,” assistant inspector general Michael Roark wrote to Pentagon officials in a memo.

The new audit will likely take several months, with the IG only publishing the final report next year.

A Pentagon IG report in May showed Defense Department employees spent $952,258 at casinos and another $96,576 at strip clubs using official travel charge cards during the course of a year.

Examples include an unnamed Navy SEAL visiting El Paso, Texas on official duty who used his government card to splurge on himself at an adult entertainment establishment to the tune of more than $1,000 over a 17-day stay, according to the Military Times.

However, the IG report did not reveal who ultimately paid those bills. It found that in some cases charges made to government credit cards were approved as official expenses and covered by DoD. In cases where a cardholder did not submit expenses for reimbursement through their command or agency, they were responsible for any outstanding charges.

The report also found the DoD had no policy requiring its personnel to identify “high risk merchants,” such as casinos and strip joints, which might suggest wrongful personal use of government credit cards.

http://www.rt.com/usa/316351-pentagon-probe-strip-clubs-casinos/

Congress demands probe into Pentagon’s $1 million strip club, casino bill

Congress is asking the Pentagon’s watchdog for another probe into how the military racked up 5,000 charges at casinos and strip clubs totaling more than $1 million over the course of a year – and whether the government footed the tab.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Sep 25 at 2015 10:37 AM

2015-09-25T10:37:37-04:00

Those premadonna's! They need to be held accountable for their blatant misuse of funds. But then who will be doing the investigation?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 25 at 2015 10:44 AM

2015-09-25T10:44:48-04:00

I can't see that Soviet-era propaganda rag at work. Is there a link to an original, non-RT source in the article?

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Sep 25 at 2015 11:24 AM

2015-09-25T11:24:20-04:00

Right that is reserved for congress. Posse Comitatus prohibits the deployment of US troops on home soil so they shouldn't have been there anyway!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 25 at 2015 12:47 PM

2015-09-25T12:47:39-04:00

Drugs, Sex, and Alcohol are good catalysts for risky behavior.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Sep 25 at 2015 2:54 PM

2015-09-25T14:54:46-04:00

Too much focus on it being strip clubs and casinos. The focus should be on the fraudulent use of government funds in those pursuits. This is true of all of these types of events over the last few years, Secret Service et al.

Grown adults can do what they want in their off time, on their own dime. So WHERE they defrauded the government should not be the issue. Only that they did.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 25 at 2015 7:41 PM

2015-09-25T19:41:05-04:00

The Casino part is easy, there are still conventions and conferences held in Las Vegas by the DoD. If someone is staying and eating at the Palazzo for a week because their attending a large conference... they will most likely have charges from the casino. The strip club may be a bit more difficult to answer, but then again out of these thousands of charges, how many were from a strip club? In could be something as innocuous as some rocket scientist thinking it was a good idea to use their government credit card to buy food at breakfast buffet held at a strip club.

Response by PO1 Sojourner "Chancy" Phillips made Sep 27 at 2015 1:32 AM

2015-09-27T01:32:05-04:00

Come on! I remember having to do travel expense report when I was in. It was worse than doing taxes. Every transaction had to have a reciept and there was alway some comptroller grilling you like crazy over the 4.00 latte asking was it necessary. How are people still getting away with misappropriation of govt travel funds? They make you sign that you clearly understand what you can and cannot use the money for. Hell, the company I am with now can give them some lessons in auditing travel expenses. I never heard thought of ever racking up a govt card bill in a shoe store which to me is equivalent to the pleasure of a strip club. Why??? Because that would be stupid, I would have to pay it back and depending on what you use the money for, it the transaction history could provide great future blackmail evidence. Have some restraint and a cup of common sense! If they misused the funds they should pay it all back and be repremanded.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 27 at 2015 1:08 PM

2015-09-27T13:08:12-04:00

Fire them for their stupidity and attempting to defraud the government.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Sep 27 at 2015 3:05 PM

2015-09-27T15:05:38-04:00

LOL.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 28 at 2015 4:54 PM

2015-09-28T16:54:05-04:00

Had I made fraudulent charges on my card, there would not have been an investigation. I would have been kicked out the door right away.

Response by TSgt Kevin Robertson made Nov 27 at 2018 10:35 PM

2018-11-27T22:35:40-05:00

This is absolutely just click bait. During Red Flag at Nellis, the base lodging is booked solid and the only quality hotels off base with available lodging are likely casinos. That would be reimbursable (within reason).

Technically, while TDY, a government travel card is authorized to be used at an ATM, even if it's in a casino or strip club; but ATM fees are no longer refundable as they are considered to be part of the $5 per day incidentals.