The General Services Administration is in hot water again, this time
for a $269,000 one-day awards ceremony held November 2010 in Washington,
D.C.
The lavish event featured a drum-band exercise and special V.I.P. reception with miniature pastries and music by a violinist and guitarist, according to a July 19 letter from GSA Inspector General Brian Miller.
Gifts doled out include 4,000 drumsticks ($21,000), 4,000 “time and temperature” picture frames ($28,000) and 68 “shadowbox” picture frames ($8,000).
“Some of the expenses are just astounding if you consider the difficult times that we’re in,” said Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) at a press conference, holding up a guitar and pair of drumsticks for illustration.
GSA spent $41,000 on travel, $34,000 on the Crystal City, Va., Marriott awards ceremony venue (including $21,000 in catering costs) and $8,000 for the V.I.P. reception, which was held at a separate hotel, the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn.
“We have begun a preliminary analysis of the information we have received from the Agency and have opened an administrative investigation. Our initial findings show costs upwards of $268,732 for the one-day ceremony,” Miller said in the letter.
To help organize and execute the awards ceremony, GSA paid D.C. public relations firm Gallagher & Gallagher $140,000, which included the cost of the drumsticks.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/gsa_inspector_general_probing_269k_one_day_awards_ceremony-216286-1.html?pos=htmbtxt
The lavish event featured a drum-band exercise and special V.I.P. reception with miniature pastries and music by a violinist and guitarist, according to a July 19 letter from GSA Inspector General Brian Miller.
Gifts doled out include 4,000 drumsticks ($21,000), 4,000 “time and temperature” picture frames ($28,000) and 68 “shadowbox” picture frames ($8,000).
“Some of the expenses are just astounding if you consider the difficult times that we’re in,” said Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) at a press conference, holding up a guitar and pair of drumsticks for illustration.
GSA spent $41,000 on travel, $34,000 on the Crystal City, Va., Marriott awards ceremony venue (including $21,000 in catering costs) and $8,000 for the V.I.P. reception, which was held at a separate hotel, the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn.
“We have begun a preliminary analysis of the information we have received from the Agency and have opened an administrative investigation. Our initial findings show costs upwards of $268,732 for the one-day ceremony,” Miller said in the letter.
To help organize and execute the awards ceremony, GSA paid D.C. public relations firm Gallagher & Gallagher $140,000, which included the cost of the drumsticks.
Read more: http://www.rollcall.com/news/gsa_inspector_general_probing_269k_one_day_awards_ceremony-216286-1.html?pos=htmbtxt
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