Wyden Renews Call for Pentagon Audit Following Revelation of $43 Million Natural Gas Station Boondoggle
Wyden Sponsored the Audit the Pentagon Act to Restore Fiscal Accountability
Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed the Department of Defense to lay out a plan to restore fiscal accountability and prevent expensive mistakes, like the $43 million natural gas filling station recently uncovered by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
In a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Wyden expressed deep concern about the DOD’s apparent lack of cooperation with the Inspector General’s investigation, and lack of basic efforts to control costs on a station originally budgeted at $3 million.
“According to the SIGAR, DOD claims that nobody remains at the Department with knowledge of the Task Force. This is a baffling claim, given that the Task Force was dissolved less than a year ago. More disturbing still, the SIGAR stated clearly that its review ‘was hindered by DOD’s lack of cooperation’ and paints a picture of a Department restricting access and failing to deliver on commitments,” Wyden said.
“As one of the sponsors of the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2015, I also feel compelled to tell you that this filling station appears to be exactly the type of unacceptable boondoggle that our legislation aims to prevent,” Wyden said.
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