Analysis: GSA scandal increases scrutiny on agency spending

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Analysis: GSA scandal increases scrutiny on agency spending

The conference spending scandal at the General Services Administration will create a more cautious environment throughout government, said Bill Bransford, partner...

Jolie Lee

April 17, 2012 9:47 am

1 min read

wfedstaff | April 17, 2015 3:39 pm

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The conference spending scandal at the General Services Administration will create a more cautious environment throughout government, said Bill Bransford, partner at Shaw, Bransford and Roth.

“It isn’t just conference spending. It’s a lot of areas federal executives and managers and political appointees should be paying close attention to how much they’re spending and whether their mission can be accomplished in a more effective way,” Bransford said in an interview with The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

One question the GSA story highlights is how many other people knew about the excessive spending and didn’t come forward with the information. Also, is the failure to come forward considered misconduct?

“The reality is, no one likes a whistleblower, and someone who does blow the whistle usually ends up on the wrong side of agency management,” Bransford said. “There’s a natural pressure to remain silent.”

But the GSA scandal might make it easier to report wrongdoing.

“I think employees are going to be expected to step forward and raise these kinds of issues when they see things causing difficulties,” he said.

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