Pentagon employees are using their government credit cards to gamble and pay for escorts, according to an audit report.
Politico reported Wednesday:
A Defense Department audit has found that a significant number of Pentagon employees used their government credit cards to gamble and pay for "adult entertainment" — findings that are expected to lead department officials to issue stern new warnings.
The audit of "Government Travel Charge Transactions" by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, which is to be made public in coming weeks, found that both civilian and military employees used the credit cards at casinos and for escort services and other adult activities — particularly in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
A Pentagon official briefed on some of the findings stressed that the federal government did not necessarily pay the charges; holders of the cards pay their own bills and then submit receipts to be reimbursed for expenses related to their government business.
The official said that the employees may have used the government cards for gambling and escort services in order to shield the charges from spouses.
Misuse of government credit cards is a common problem among federal agencies. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees racked up $192.2 million in potentially "questionable transactions," sometimes using government cards at bowling alleys and barbershops.
Department of Transportation (DOT) employees have also used their government credit cards for cash advances at casinos and racetracks.