Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) said an investigation into Jeanette Hanna, a
Bureau of Indian Affairs employee who has been the subject of numerous complaints, highlights waste of taxpayer funds at the agency.
The
Office of Inspector General at the
Interior Department said Hanna was placed on detail in Washington, D.C., for 775 days, far longer than the 240 days allowed by federal regulations. During that time, she racked up $178,000 in lodging and travel expenses, of which more than $40,000 was unnecessary, according to the investigation.
The OIG referred the report to then-Interior secretary Ken Salazar in August 2012.
By that time, Hanna had been given a permanent job at the BIA's central office in D.C.
“Unfortunately, these past reports and complaints have failed to force action,” Coburn told The Journal Record. “Those who ignore and instigate waste, fraud and abuse do so in blatant disregard for taxpayers. Those who engage in that behavior should never be rewarded with promotions or bonuses.”
Secretary
Sally Jewell has taken action to address the issues in the report, an official told Indianz.Com, although details were not provided.
Rep. Doc Hastings
(R-Washington), the chairman of the
House Natural Resources
Committee, has asked for more information by May 31.
Hanna was serving as regional director in Eastern Oklahoma when she was placed on leave in November 2009 for reasons that the BIA has not disclosed publicly. The OIG's report, however, said a BIA investigation confirmed that Hanna "fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in retaliation, harassment and mismanagement."
The BIA's investigation, which was concluded in 2010, has not been made public so Hastings has asked for a copy. Some of Hanna's former subordinates, who continue to fear retaliation due to Hanna's nebulous status in D.C., also want the report but have been denied copies.
Get the Story:
BIA official’s expenses investigated
(The Journal Record 5/21)
Lawmaker asking for answers about BIA employee
(The Journal Record 5/21)
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DOI Inspector General Report:
Jeanette Hanna
(August 2012)
Rep. Hastings Letters:
Letter to Chief
of Staff Laura Davis (May 17, 2 013)
Letter to
Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn (May 17, 2013)
Related Stories:
Secretary Jewell takes action in Jeanette Hanna
controversy (5/21)
Rep. Hastings asks
DOI for answers about Jeanette Hanna (5/17)
In The Loop: Jeanette Hanna
overspent on detail to BIA in DC (05/09)
Echo Hawk kept BIA regional director on
overextended detail (5/1)
Echo Hawk
removed official who investigated Jeanette Hanna (5/1)
In The Hoop: Jeanette Hanna inherits BIA's
coveted Iron Fist (5/1)
In The
Hoop: Come fill in the blanks in OIG's redacted report (5/1)
Inspector General Reports: Larry Echo Hawk,
Jeanette Hanna (4/30)
Echo Hawk creates new post
for director under investigation (4/)
BIA
lists job opening for Eastern Oklahoma's regional director (4/2)
In the Loop: BIA's regional director goes missing
in action (3/28)
BIA regional office
goes without director for over two years (3/22)
BIA faces leadership void among regional director
level (2/2)
BIA official in Eastern
Oklahoma placed on leave (11/9)
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