Press Releases

GOODLATTE STATEMENT FOLLOWING RESIGNATION OF GSA CHIEF

Washington, D.C.: Congressman Bob Goodlatte issued this statement following the announcement that Martha Johnson, Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), resigned following a report that GSA wasted nearly $1 million in taxpayer funds on a training conference.

“The announcement that the head of the GSA has resigned and two other top officials have been fired, in light of mismanagement of funds, is welcome news to taxpayers. The recent Inspector General’s report documents an egregious waste of taxpayer money on a training conference outside of Las Vegas including hundreds of thousands of dollars that were spent on travel expenses to plan the conference and thousands of dollars that were spent on private parties, commemorative coins and yearbooks for all participants. 

These expenses are utterly ridiculous and every American taxpayer should be outraged that their hard earned money was being squandered by the GSA. I have long had concerns about the mismanagement of the GSA and believe that this most recent IG report is yet another example of the kind of waste and abuse that seems to be running rampant at this agency. 

In 2010 the GSA Inspector General released an audit of the Richard B. Poff Federal Building renovation. Just like in this most recent report, the IG found that the GSA was guilty of wasting taxpayer money.  The audit indicated that the GSA provided the maximum contract amount, in violation of federal contracting law, for the renovation of the Poff Building.  This clear violation of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), resulting in the bidding companies knowing the maximum amount that the government would pay for their work, deprived taxpayers of a fair process to determine the true cost of the project.

I believe that the GSA Administrator should be held accountable for the actions of her agency and so I think it is appropriate that Administrator Johnson resign.  With her departure, it is my hope that the pattern of irresponsible actions on the part of the GSA will come to an end.  Let this be an example to every federal agency – waste and abuse of taxpayer money will not be tolerated.”