Where is the Money Going?
Private Ambulances Rake in $80 Million a Year from Medicare…in One County
Entrepreneurs in Harris County, Texas, have figured out a way to charge Medicare for hundreds of millions of extra dollars by transporting non-critical patients in ambulances.
In 2009, the nation’s largest city—New York—only charged Medica... read more
Medicare Wastes Billions of Dollars on Unnecessary Cancer Screening for Elderly
Doctors routinely ignore the recommendations of a panel of experts when it comes to cancer tests for patients, particularly the elderly, resulting in Medicare paying for billions of dollars in services that are unnecessary.
Medicare spent near... read more
Outgoing SEC Commissioner Casey Lived the Good Life
Kathleen Casey, a political appointee to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), spent portions of her time regulating Wall Street from overseas, according to agency records obtained by JunketSleuth.
The outgoing commissioner traveled to... read more
Pentagon Upgrades Financial Accounting System…at a Cost of $7 Billion
It may end up costing at least $7 billion just for the Department of Defense to fix its byzantine accounting system, so military leaders and lawmakers can actually know what the Pentagon is doing with its money.
The Defense Department has alre... read more
Another Agency That Earns More than It Spends: Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a little-known government watchdog of Wall Street, has been more than earning its keep.
Last fiscal year, the CFTC levied more than $290 million in fines and ordered firms to forfeit some $160... read more
If Ford Factory Workers Gave Up Cost-of-Living Raises, Why Does CEO Get $26 Million?
At Ford Motor Co. there hasn’t been a bad quarter in more than two years. The auto manufacturer’s top executive earned more than $25 million in 2010. And yet management feels its auto workers—who gave up raises and benefits when the company teet... read more
A Corporate Tax Rule that Cost U.S. $10 Billion and Helped Double Revenues…Overseas
Fifteen years ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made a simple rule change intended to cut down on tax paperwork for U.S. companies. Since then the “check-the-box” procedure has become a windfall for corporations that have used the change to ... read more
Pentagon Contractor Executives May be Limited to Billing Less than $700,000 a Year
House and Senate lawmakers are working on legislation that would limit the amount of executive compensation that contractors can bill the U.S. government.
The proposed change in law would cap total billable compensation for company leaders (... read more
Government Funds Still Available after You Die
Employment with the U.S. government can be a lifetime, and beyond, opportunity to make money.
The inspector general with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently uncovered that the agency had made more than $600 million in payments ... read more
Why is Congress Cutting the Budget of Agency that Saves Billions of Dollars?
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, saved the U.S. government $50 billion last year as a result of its audits. For every dollar GAO received in funding, it saves the U.S. Treasury $87—and yet, Congress ... read more
Congressman from Koch Attacks $30,000 EPA Intern Program
No program is too small for House Republicans to go after, especially ones encouraging young people to learn about environmental protection.
Representative Mike Pompeo, who represents the Kansas district that is the headquarters for the GOP-... read more
Families of CEOs Gain Super-Rich Version of Death Benefits
Even death can’t stop the multi-million dollar enrichment of those related to CEOs.
For many of America’s top business leaders, the wealth of perks enjoyed include “golden coffin” arrangements that pay out tens-of-millions in benefits to fam... read more
Justice Dept. Conference Expenses…$16 for a Muffin, $5 for a Meatball
The U.S. Department of Justice paid what might be considered unlawful prices for food at agency conferences over a two-year period, according to the department’s inspector general.
After reviewing food arrangements from 2007 to 2009, the IG co... read more
U.S. Government Discovers Cost-Saving Strategy…Buying in Bulk
What consumers call “buying in bulk” the U.S. government calls “strategic sourcing.”
Beginning this week, some of Washington’s largest agencies and departments will join together to buy office printers, copiers and scanners with the intentio... read more
Federal Judge Orders Arizona Government to Return $51 Million to Public Transit Fund
Republican lawmakers in Arizona, including Gov. Jan Brewer, went beyond their authority when they diverted more than $50 million meant for public transit projects to other purposes.
In response to a lawsuit filed by the Arizona Center for La... read more
IRS Spends $862,000 a Year…to Store Furniture
Like many Americans, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a problem with storage—as in too much of it.
An audit of IRS spending found the agency has been allocating $862,000 a year to store old furniture and other equipment in warehouses. ... read more