State Department can't Account for $6 Billion in last 6 Years

by Thomas Lifson

Another Hillary Clinton legacy at the State Department is going to need a lot of explaining, aside from Benghazi and the lack of any notable achievements. There has been, in the most charitable interpretation, grave sloppiness in spending and accounting for money at the cabinet agency run by Hillary Clinton.  Brianna Ehley of the Fiscal Times notes an Inspector General’s report that will further tarnish any claims Mrs. Clinton might make to be an effective leader:

In a special “management alert” made public Thursday, the State Department’s Inspector General Steve Linick warned “significant financial risk and a lack of internal control at the department has led to billions of unaccounted dollars over the last six years. (snip)
The lack of oversight “exposes the department to significant financial risk,” the auditor said. “It creates conditions conducive to fraud, as corrupt individuals may attempt to conceal evidence of illicit behavior by omitting key documents from the contract file. It impairs the ability of the Department to take effective and timely action to protect its interests, and, in tum, those of taxpayers.”
In the memo, the IG detailed “repeated examples of poor contract file administration.” For instance, a recent investigation of the closeout process for contracts supporting the mission in Iraq, showed that auditors couldn't find 33 of the 115 contract files totaling about $2.1 billion. Of the remaining 82 files, auditors said 48 contained insufficient documents required by federal law.
In another instance, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement issued a $1 billion contract in Afghanistan that was deemed “incomplete.”

Imagine Hillary Clinton debating one of the several GOP governors who have established budget discipline and led their states to solvency.  Scott Walker, for instance.

Thomas Lifson

Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/04/state_department_cant_account_for_6_billion_in_last_6_years.html

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