A senior Drug Enforcement Administration official hired his son and former colleagues as contractors within his chain of command, and also misused hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice on Monday.
The DoJ Office of Inspector General found that two of the hires made by the official – his son and the wife of a former colleague – did not meet their positions’ qualification requirements. The OIG also found that the senior DEA official took actions “to try to expedite the security vetting for his son,” and to get his son an internship at DEA before graduating college.
The official also “enabled his son to submit contractor work invoices while on collegiate spring break and before graduating college,” according to the report.
The IG pointed to $340,280 in improper spending, which included a raise for his son. Specifics about the remainder of misused funding were not included.
The complaint that led the OIG to investigate the senior DEA official also said that he came to work intoxicated, but the DOJ OIG did not substantiate this. The IG did note a lack of candor in “making false entries about alcohol counseling on a Questionnaire for National Security Position, in violation of the DEA Standards of Conduct and potentially in violation of criminal statutes.”
Despite the findings, no criminal prosecution of the senior DEA official or a DEA SES member that was aware of the individual’s actions would be sought. The senior DEA official retired from his position. However, due to indications that the senior DEA official was “seeking postretirement employment with various government contract companies, the OIG is also referring this matter to the DoJ Suspension and Debarment Official for action against [him].”
