U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General
An audit by the inspector general found that sponsors and planners for 10 of the Justice Department’s major conferences failed to consistently compare or document costs. Analysts found that three types of costs – external event planning, food and beverages and audio-visual – represented 71 percent of the $6.2 million spent to plan and host the 10 conferences. Some of the expenses, while allowable, appeared to have been “extravagant,” the report says. The report says the department spent $25 per person at one conference for an “at-the-movies” snack break, consisting of candy, popcorn and soft drinks, and $64,000 at another conference for coffee, water and soda for 1,500 attendees over three days.
The report looked at the 10 most expensive Justice Department conferences between October 2004 and September 2006. The most expensive during that period was the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s National Conference, Jan. 9-13, 2006. The event cost $1,085,568. Free. 128 pages. (202) 616-4633, http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/plus/a0742/final.pdf.
