GSA Spent $820k On L.V. Conference For 300 People
Planners spent $31,000 on a “networking reception” that featured $19-per-person “American artisanal cheese display” and $7,000 in sushi. Taxpayers also footed the bill for a $3,200 session with a mind reader, $5,600 for in-room parties, $3,700 for T-shirts and almost $2,800 in water bottles.
The General Service Administration (GSA) sent 300 employees to Nevada’s M Resort Spa and Casino for a “conference” and spent $820,000 of taxpayer money on the escapade.
Fox News:
The employees at the conference dropped thousands of dollars on luxury items and convention giveaways — including more than $6,000 on commemorative coins, $8,000 on a “yearbook” and $3,200 for an in-house mind reader.“It’s unbelievable that red flags didn’t immediately go up well before this junket,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.
The 300-person event at the M Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nev., included a $95-per-person dinner and reception, as well as several violations of federal laws and policies.
“As the agency Congress has entrusted with developing the rules followed by other federal agencies for conferences, GSA has a special responsibility to set an example, and that did not occur here,” the inspector general concluded in its report.
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"GSA Spent $820k On L.V. Conference For 300 People"
April 14th, 2012 at 10:29 am
[...] Bet you thought $823,000 was extravagant for 300 employees of the General Services Administration to hold an office party. [...]