Brock Long, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, spent more than $150,000 of government funds for personal travel on trips to and from his home in North Carolina on the weekends and during a family vacation to Hawaii, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
According to a portion of a Department of Homeland Security inspector general report obtained by the Journal, $94,000 of the $151,000 went toward the salary of staff whom he had drive him to North Carolina. Another $55,000 was used on travel expenses and $2,000 for maintenance.
Long racked up a portion of the expenses during a trip to Hawaii, when he had aides drive him and his family around in government vehicles. The trip was both for a family vacation and official business. The aide who transported Long and his family reportedly erased evidence of the travel to try to throw off the IG probe, according to the WSJ’s review of the report.
During his frequent trips from Washington, D.C. to North Carolina and back, Long also had an aide accompany him and used taxpayer funds to put the staffer up in a hotel while he spent time with family. The IG probe was apparently opened at the behest of DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who reportedly have a tense relationship with Long due to his frequent tardiness and use of government vehicles.
Nielsen’s spokesperson told the WSJ last week that Long would repay the government “as appropriate,” but when contacted on Tuesday, a spokesperson didn’t specify how much would be repaid.
Read the full WSJ report here.
The time remaining to register people to vote is running out. To see your state’s voter registration deadlines look here:
Download and print copies of this Federal Voter Registration form, valid in all 50 states and US Territories. If you’re a US Citizen you can help any other US Citizen register to vote. Instructions are on the form:
https://vote.gov/files/federal-voter-registration_1-25-16_english.pdf
This site, https://www.aauw.org/resource/organize-a-voter-registration-drive/, has a how-to on organizing a voter registration drive or just sitting outside Wal Mart with a folding chair and a card table. But hurry- time IS running out!
Register people to vote. Get to the polls.
Remember, the House writes the checks for our government and a Congress with a conscience and a spine can literally ‘House-break’ Trump and his piddling enablers!
VOTE!
gee wonder what would happen if a regular federal employee did that … could be hit with Felony theft charges ? or some variation of embezzlement action - and definitely fired … maybe jailed until bond posted
A grifting Republican!
Who woulda thunk it?
Looks like Repubs really like family vacations in Hawaii, as long as it is being paid for by taxpayers or campaign contributors.