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THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2002

While Bureau of Indian Affairs employees were indicted for fraudulent use of government-issue credit cards, the Defense DepaRtment is letting employees walk away from millions of dollars in debt.

According to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who testified at a House hearing on Wednesday, more than 46,000 defense employees have defaulted on $62 million. He said the debt grows by $1 million a month.

And one employee was even promoted despite the abuse, Grassley charged. Tanya Mays, who put $12,000 in personal expenses on her credit card while working for the Navy in California, was promoted to the Army's top financial management office at the Pentagon.

An official from the General Accounting Office also testified at the hearing before a subcommittee on House Government Reform. A GAO report has found significant weaknesses within the Navy.

Get the Story:
Senator Reports Wide Misuse of Government's Credit Cards (AP 3/14)
Username: indianz.com, Password: indianz.com

Get GAO Testimony:
Purchase Cards: Continued Control Weaknesses Leave Two Navy Units Vulnerable to Fraud and Abuse, by Gregory D. Kutz (3/13)

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BIA employee indicted for credit card misuse (5/18)
BIA credit card application rejected with a bigoted slam (4/26)
BIA credit card misuse widespread, officials say (4/5)