Remember the $16 muffin?
Who can forget it.
Like expensive toilet seats for the Defense Department, it’s become a symbol of wasteful Washington spending.
One problem: the Justice Department’s Inspector General is now admitting that, well, maybe the $16 muffin really wasn’t a $16 muffin. The allegation seems to be crumbling.
The hotel that billed DOJ for the muffins had provided poor information, the IG says.
Here’s the flaky story:
Earlier this month, the IG released a report contending that the Justice Department had paid exorbitant fees for food, beverages and entertainment at conferences during the late years of the George W. Bush administration and the start of the Barack Obama administration.
Included in the report was the contention that at a Washington, D.C. training conference for employees of the Executive Office for Immigration Review in August 2009, DOJ officials paid $16 for muffins.
Outrage ensued because that’s a lot of dough.
Heads should roll, Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) proclaimed.
DOJ officials said they would redouble their effort to make sure that they don’t pay too much for food.
Jacob Lew, the director of the Office of Management and Budget laid down the law.
But then, Hilton Worldwide, whose Washington D.C. Capital Hilton hotel supposedly served the muffin said the story was half-baked. The $16 included fresh fruit, coffee, juice, tax and tips, they said.
Now, the IG is saying that maybe the muffins didn’t cost $16.
“The $16 muffin was based on documentation obtained during the audit showing that the Department was invoiced by the Capital Hilton Hotel $4,200 including gratuity and service charge for 250 muffins,” the IG said. “Although we made repeated attempts over several months to reach the Capital Hilton during the course of the audit to discuss its billing, it was not responsive to our numerous requests. Since our report was issued, the Capital Hilton has stated that other food and beverage items, such as coffee, tea, and fruit, were included in the charged amount, but did not provide any supporting documentation. Even if the $4,200 fee included additional food and beverage items, the OIG believes, as stated in our report, that many individual food and beverage items listed on conference invoices and paid by the Department were very costly.”
In other words, never mind the $16 muffins.
But what about the $32 for candy bars, Cracker Jacks and popcorn?
