Pentagon Watchdogs Swamped by Military Spending; $152 Billion a Year Goes Unaudited
May 28th, 2008Via: Wired:
The Pentagon’s internal watchdogs can’t keep up with the explosive growth in military spending. Which means $152 billion’s worth of contracts annually aren’t being reviewed for fraud, abuse and criminal interference by the Defense Department’s Inspector General, according to a newly-unearthed report to Congress. The result: “undetected or inadequately investigated criminal activity and significant financial loss,” as well as “personnel, facilities and assets [that] are more vulnerable to terrorist activities.”
Since fiscal year 2000, the military’s budget has essentially doubled, from less than $300 billion to more than $600 billion. Two wars have begun. But the number of criminal investigators and financial auditors at the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) has stayed more or less the same. So there are now “gaps in coverage in important areas, such as major weapon systems acquisition, health care fraud, product substitution, and Defense intelligence agencies,” according to the report, obtained by the Project on Government Oversight.
Ten years ago, there was a financial auditor for every $642 million in Pentagon contracts. Today, that ratio stands at one auditor for every $2.03 billion. The overwhelmed staffers are only able to produce half the number of audits they did, a decade back.
As you say, imagine my shock!
When U.S. citizens are sucked completely empty the criminal vampires will move on to their next victims.
“According to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions.” –Donald Rumsfeld
Sept. 10, 2001
http://www.solari.com/learn/articles_missingmoney.htm
“…ENRON style accounting in the US government”
http://www.whereisthemoney.org/
“Ten years ago, there was a financial auditor for every $642 million in Pentagon contracts. Today, that ratio stands at one auditor for every $2.03 billion. The overwhelmed staffers are only able to produce half the number of audits they did, a decade back.”
Hey, they’re cutting back on the scourge known as “big government”! (Anyone pointing out that our government is bigger than it’s ever been, and that Homeland Security is the biggest department that’s ever been, and that it was created by our selfless leaders, will get a one-way ticket to someplace very nasty.) Pop open that champagne!
Imagine my shock to read this.
Auditors have been leaving the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) in DROVES ( the DCAA audits the cost contracts – which is what the Pentagon is – an agency that spends its money on contracts). The IG for the Pentagon, now that’s a laugh. There needs to be an ARMY of THOUSANDS of current and former auditors and retired IG’s to go into the Pentagon and go through their collection of contracts. Doubling any federal agencies budget is a PARTY.
I believe the Pentbagon is not audited because auditors are leaving in droves ecause their audits are trashed by management. Unallowable costs, questioned costs uncovered by their audits are basically thrown in the trash.
Hah. Halliburton’s questioned costs. They should have been disbarred from getting government contracts long ago. Years ago. There are laws about this. But these contracting laws are being ignored. Even from before the start of the wars without end started in Afghanistan and Iraq these contractors would have been SHUT DOWN. Charges for plywood in Bosnia were a joke with this contractor.
But so, heh, anybody want a job were you have findings of fraud, waste, and abuse thrown in the trash can without explanation? It’s a job. Hey, you can travel, have great benefits, and have your work thrown into the trash at the end of the day.
Bean counters, as auditors are often called, also have their limits.