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Press Release Published: Oct 22, 2015

Chaffetz Statement on Improper Bonuses and Promotions at DEA

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WASHINGTON—Today, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) issued the following statement in reaction to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) report titled “Bonuses and Other Favorable Personnel Actions for Drug Enforcement Administration Employees Involved in Alleged Sexual Misconduct Incidents Referenced in the OIG’s March 2015 Report.” At a hearing on April 14, 2015, the members of the Committee requested that DOJ IG Michael Horowitz review and report back on promotions and bonus payments to individuals involved in misconduct allegations.

“It is astounding that employees who should have been prosecuted, fired, or at a minimum, severely disciplined for their misconduct, were instead given undeserved promotions and bonuses. It is troubling that supervisors who looked the other way at employee misconduct received substantial bonuses. Rewarding bad apples promotes a toxic work environment. It destroys morale and is a disservice to the majority of hard-working federal employees who play by the rules. It is a disgrace that taxpayer dollars are being wasted on those who violate our trust and abuse their positions. If we want a culture of excellence in the federal workforce, we must penalize bad behavior and reward merit. The Committee is working hard on a package of personnel reforms that will correct this misguided and unjust system.” said Chairman Chaffetz.

Key findings from the report include:

  • A Regional Director named as a subject in an OPR investigation, received four performance awards, three Senior Executive Service bonus awards and one SES Meritorious Executive Rank award over a four year period totaling approximately $68,600. (7)
  • Another agent received two awards, one monetary and one time off award of 40 hours, during the three year period of ineligibility after he served a 10-day suspension as a result of misconduct he committed. (18)
  • While the DEA has an integrity check process in place for determining whether receipt of a promotion or bonus is appropriate, the DEA fails to follow their own policies. (22)