Report: FEMA Chief Cost Government $151,000 in Unauthorized Travel

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency cost the government $151,000 by using agency vehicles and resources for personal travel, a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has found. FEMA Chief Brock Long, under scrutiny for allegedly taking trips to his home in North Carolina and a vacation in Hawaii on the taxpayers’ dime, racked up $94,000 in salary expenses, $55,000 in travel expenditures, and $2,000 in maintenance costs, according to a copy of the inspector general’s report obtained by The Wall Street Journal. Long admitted to “mistakes” last week after details emerged about his unauthorized use of government vehicles, but he was allowed to keep his job after being ordered to reimburse the government for the expenses. Two other FEMA staffers involved in Long’s travels have reportedly been suspended, including FEMA aide Keith LaFoucade, who allegedly destroyed evidence of Long’s trip to Hawaii to hinder the inspector general’s investigation. John Veatch, a senior FEMA official who was also involved in Long’s travels, has also been suspended, according to the Journal.