The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General
citied “breakdowns in management controls” as reasons for
lavish and unethical spending throughout the development
of the Transportation Security Administration’s Crisis
Management Center in Herndon, Va.
“The waste and abuse reported here is attributable to
wasteful or inappropriate decision-making by individuals
who operated with unchecked autonomy that resulted from
the determination to complete the project within 90
days,” a self imposed deadline, wrote acting IG Richard
Skinner.
He said senior managers ignored complaints and allowed
the project manager to get around TSA’s acquisition
management system, requiring the project manager, the
chief operating officer, and the deputy administrator
to be involved in the initial stage of the $19 million
TSOC project.
According to the report, the project manager and
operating officer charged $500,000 for mostly
furnishing and silk plants, to the construction
contract and tried to burry it from the real estate
contracting officer. The bill included $83,313 of that
was in overpayments to the vendor because the operations
officer insisted the invoice be submitted before final
costs were determined.
TSA responded with “swift and decisive action” against
those involved. It said it has also put in place a new
management structure “to strengthen its acquisition
program to ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer
dollars.”
