Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)
Sat Dec 16, 2017, 10:51 AM Dec 2017

Why our DOD has to do that "First ever Audit". Because MSU scholars revealed 21 trillion in spending

MSU scholars find $21 trillion in unauthorized government spending; Defense Department to conduct first-ever audit

Earlier this year, a Michigan State University economist, working with graduate students and a former government official, found $21 trillion in unauthorized spending in the departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development for the years 1998-2015.

The work of Mark Skidmore and his team, which included digging into government websites and repeated queries to U.S. agencies that went unanswered, coincided with the Office of Inspector General, at one point, disabling the links to all key documents showing the unsupported spending. (Luckily, the researchers downloaded and stored the documents.)

The Defense Department did not say specifically what led to the audit. But the announcement came four days after Skidmore discussed his team’s findings on USAWatchdog, a news outlet run by former CNN and ABC News correspondent Greg Hunter.

Skidmore got involved last spring when he heard Catherine Austin Fitts, former assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development, refer to a report which indicated the Army had $6.5 trillion in unsupported adjustments, or spending, in fiscal 2015. Given the Army’s $122 billion budget, that meant unsupported adjustments were 54 times spending authorized by Congress. Typically, such adjustments in public budgets are only a small fraction of authorized spending. Skidmore thought Fitts had made a mistake. “Maybe she meant $6.5 billion and not $6.5 trillion,” he said. “So I found the report myself and sure enough it was $6.5 trillion.”

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/msu-scholars-find-21-trillion-in-unauthorized-government-spending-defense-department-to-conduct/
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Why our DOD has to do that "First ever Audit". Because MSU scholars revealed 21 trillion in spending (Original Post) Sunlei Dec 2017 OP
because the documents were taken offline- they are all here at link on solari Sunlei Dec 2017 #1
Good job, Spartans!!! n/t spartan61 Dec 2017 #2
Grad students are going to take a big hit in the tax scam underpants Dec 2017 #3
I can't get the link to work. AJT Dec 2017 #4
We all know it was long overdue. Baitball Blogger Dec 2017 #5
Glad to know shadowmayor Dec 2017 #6
K & R Duppers Dec 2017 #7

underpants

(182,823 posts)
3. Grad students are going to take a big hit in the tax scam
Sat Dec 16, 2017, 11:16 AM
Dec 2017

If it's included they'll have to report tuition assistance from the school as taxable income

AJT

(5,240 posts)
4. I can't get the link to work.
Sat Dec 16, 2017, 11:25 AM
Dec 2017

If the amount turns out to be accurate, ehat does that do yo the deficit? Wouldn't that destroy the economy?

shadowmayor

(1,325 posts)
6. Glad to know
Sat Dec 16, 2017, 01:57 PM
Dec 2017

Our Congress Critters keep handing money to the generals, whose record of incompetence and inefficiency are stunning, over and over again. And that' on both sides of the aisle. Our national knee-bending to all things military is disgusting. The fraud waste and abuse I witnessed in Iraq was nauseating. We spend money all day long on bombs for brown people while our country crumbles.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Why our DOD has to do tha...