NASA Under Scrutiny

By Associated Press

Review shows NASA employees bought seemingly personal items such as iPods, jewelry.

Published: Sun, May 04, 2008 - 11:41 am
Last Updated: Sun, May 04, 2008 - 11:49 am

HOUSTON (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that video games,
jewelry and iPods are among the charges that NASA employees are
making with government credit cards.
The Houston Chronicle analyzed 451,000 charges made on NASA
purchase cards between January 2004 and July 2007. The charges
totaled more than 265 million dollars. The newspaper also reviewed
audits, internal reports and other documents related to card use.
The NASA records provided to the Chronicle do not explain
justifications for the purchases, or even the specific items
bought. Most transactions were made to vendors that appear to sell
legitimate business items.
A NASA official says the agency intends to review its card
policies by midsummer in response to a recent White House memo
instructing agencies to cinch up internal controls over purchase
card programs.
The paper reports that since 1997, NASA auditors have pointed
out purchase card abuses in no fewer than five internal reports.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Click here to read the Houston Chronicle article.