Joe Biden’s corrupt nature seems to have bled out across the White House. Those who work for him are now just as shady as he is.
And Biden was strangled by this brutal report of corruption that came from his administration.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s summer 2023 electric vehicle road trip, intended to promote EV adoption, has come under scrutiny after racking up nearly $125,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses, according to a report by the Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General. The four-day tour, which was accompanied by a gas-powered vehicle, faced accusations of overspending, inaccurate reporting, and poor planning.
Granholm’s team submitted 42 travel vouchers for a total of $124,824, with 36 of them exceeding the government’s lodging allowance by a combined $9,487.50.
The decision to book hotels near EV charging stations, rather than cheaper accommodations nearby, drove up costs. “Travelers could have chosen different nearby hotels to reduce travel costs at the Government’s expense,” the watchdog reported, but difficulties locating functioning chargers limited their options.
The lack of accessible charging stations highlights broader issues with the Biden administration’s $5 billion program to expand EV infrastructure. As of early 2024, only seven charging stations had been constructed under the initiative launched in 2021. “That is pathetic. We’re now three years into this … That is a vast administrative failure,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) remarked last June.
Granholm’s choice of vehicle—a Ford Mustang Mach-E—further complicated the trip. Despite Tesla’s more extensive charging network, her team opted against using one of their models, resulting in logistical challenges and a political headache.
One particularly contentious incident occurred in Augusta, Georgia, when Granholm’s team reserved a charging spot for her by parking a gas-powered vehicle there. This left a family with a baby waiting in the heat, prompting them to call the police.
The story, reported by an NPR journalist traveling with Granholm, quickly went viral and drew criticism from both sides of the aisle.
The inspector general’s report also flagged other issues with the trip. Several travel vouchers contained errors, including missing expense details, inflated reimbursements, and neglect of federal travel guidelines.
For instance, three vouchers lacked key authorizations, while four went over the approved amounts by at least 15%. Additionally, some team members failed to use government-issued travel cards, resulting in $2,553 in untracked expenses.
The watchdog attributed these problems to insufficient oversight and poor knowledge of federal travel policies. “The issues we identified occurred because of inadequate reviews of travel vouchers and insufficient knowledge of Federal travel requirements,” the report stated.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) seized on the findings, describing the road trip as a taxpayer-funded “publicity stunt” that showcased the administration’s “radical Green New Deal priorities.” Comer accused the Energy Department of exposing funds to “serious waste, fraud, and abuse.”
The Energy Department defended Granholm’s trip, emphasizing its complexity. “Flexibility is paramount when organizing and executing travel to support any Cabinet official,” a spokesperson said to the New York Post, adding that no “significant financial impacts or noncompliance” were found.
Beyond Granholm’s trip, the report revealed similar mismanagement in other department travel. Common issues included over-reimbursements, inaccurate itineraries, and excessive tips exceeding the 15% federal guideline.
While the department spent $58.8 million on travel in fiscal year 2023, the watchdog did not specify how much of that was improperly allocated.
To address these problems, the watchdog recommended tighter reviews of travel authorizations, refresher training on federal travel rules, and stronger oversight by the department’s chief of staff.
Granholm has since admitted to poor judgment regarding the road trip, but the political fallout continues.
The incident has fueled criticism of the Biden administration’s EV policies and cast a shadow over Granholm’s tenure as energy secretary. An incident like this once again exposes Joe Biden and his admin of being utterly incompetent while also acting corruptly.
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