Martha Johnson, Who Helps Create Feds' Conference Rules, Resigns Over, Um, A Lavish Conference

Martha Johnson, the head of the General Services Administration, is resigning after her agency held a pricey conference.

An extravagant conference sponsored by U.S. taxpayers is costing some government officials their jobs.

General Services Administration chief Martha Johnson is resigning after a recent report from the watchdog responsible for the government agency revealed that a lavish conference hosted by the GSA cost more than $820,000, the Washington Post reports. In Nevada, 300 guests enjoyed extravagances such as pricey meals, entertainment from a clown and a mind reader.

That won't bode well for those arguing the federal government spends taxpayer money carefully. Those defenders certainly face an uphill battle in getting their point across. As of last summer, the federal government was listed as the most hated industry in America by Gallup.

Nor is the GSA ithe only government-related institution to be accused of spending lavishly on conferences. Last month, government mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac came under fire for "questionable" spending relating a $600,000 conference it held for the Mortgage Bankers Association last October. But executives from the government agencies defended the event, saying it lead to more than 200 meetings with customers.

Past criticism has sometimes fallen flat though. Last fall, auditors criticized the Justice Department after auditors found that the agency was overspending on food for events including $16 muffins. A later review of the audit found that the muffins alone didn't cost $16, instead they were part of a larger breakfast that included other pastries.

But the GSA episode is especially notable given that the agency's tasks include "developing the rules followed by other federal agencies for conferences," GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller wrote in his report. Likewise, the misstep reflects poorly upon President Obama, as the report comes amid his administration's efforts to counter accusations of overspending.

For his part, President Obama has tried to clean up the federal government's image as a lavish spender, pushing for the federal government to sell off underused property, including islands.

It's the Federal Aviation Administration, however, that's had the biggest blowout in recent years. In 2009, the FAA spent $5 million on a conference in Atlanta that hosted a total of 3,600 managers over the course of three weeks, ABC News reports. Footage from ABC World News with Diane Sawyer shows FAA employees drinking heavily and partying, evoking public criticism from Vice President Joe Biden.

Comments

[dvx99]

11:35 PM on 04/07/2012

And this regime wants to manage our healthcare? Hopefully, President Romney eliminates at least half of these agencies and ALL of Obama's "czars." What a disastrous presidency; only 7 months to go before REAL hope and change.

[Doug Miles]

08:13 AM on 04/07/2012

It's fun being a communist...you get to spend other peoples money!

[jshook99]

06:55 PM on 04/05/2012

WOW, OBAMA-INGTON POST Sure hid this one. SHHHHH, They don't want you to know about this.

[NobleTry]

10:05 PM on 04/04/2012

It's too bad. She was no dumber than any other fed. But don't cry for her too much. She helped plenty of her friends' 24 year olds get $125K/yr jobs doing not much at all. Believe me. She has her golden parachute.

Just goes to prove that greed knows no political boundary.

[aforbes808]

11:59 AM on 04/04/2012

I understand that they need to hold conferences, but $2700.00 per person? Gimme a break.

[loki]

11:54 AM on 04/04/2012

Im sure she will get some cushy position in a large corporation making much more a year than she spent on this one party.

[olitenup]

11:42 AM on 04/04/2012

The President needs to completely clean house. Geitner, Holder, Salazar, Vilsack, (those are a few off the top of my head) also have got to go.

[jshook99]

06:56 PM on 04/05/2012

You are right, President First.

[Mark Cormier Arizona]

11:01 AM on 04/04/2012

I say garnish all these fed employees wages to return the money....next time they themselves would recognize this was a bad idea and blow the whistle BEFORE going.

[hailto]

01:30 PM on 04/04/2012

That was a very shortsighted comment...Read the report. Employees raised numerous concerns about the overspending related to the conference that were ignored. It is the high-level officials that must be chopped, including those that olitenup mentions above (Geitner, Holder, Salazar, Vilsack). They are the bane of the Obama White House.

[kiemjp]

10:14 AM on 04/04/2012

I am liberal and a supporter of Obama. I am outraged and nauseated about this waste. $2,700 per person; are you fricking kidding me?

[NobleTry]

10:06 PM on 04/04/2012

You don't know the tenth of it.

[parabq]

09:21 AM on 04/04/2012

"For his part, President Obama has tried to clean up the federal government's image as a lavish spender, pushing for the federal government to sell off underused property,"

He should start with his family !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ed Red]

07:59 AM on 04/04/2012

What is big deal liberals in Washington know how best to spend tax payer money. Should have more trips like this for all the Feds.

Force tax payers to pay for personal growth of all government employees vote Obama 2012!!!

[irish57]

08:13 PM on 04/03/2012

Tsk Tsk. So few comments. Not much liberal outrage here. But I'm sure this is just a "little thing". Heaven only knows all the little things the American Public doesn't know about. What's whirling through my head is all those comments that I see on here that the government doesn't waste money and they're underfunded.

[olitenup]

12:12 PM on 04/04/2012

I am outraged. But then we need to also get rid of the pentagon over-spendage of money. The fact that we are funding two different engine vendors for the F-35 on top of the massive overruns by Lockheed is atrocious.

[NobleTry]

10:07 PM on 04/04/2012

It goes on every day in DC. The fed p*ss away so much money it's sickening. And they don't think anything of it because they, literally, don't know any better, and no one is held accountable.

[Beernuts]

06:58 PM on 04/03/2012

Next conference I put together we are having all-you-can eat banksters and teriyaki bureaucrat on-a-stick. For entertainment we will enjoin the clown from Wasilla to explain the "real" meaning of "false lies"

[Bklyntaco]

06:34 PM on 04/03/2012

I'm still waiting for MY bailout.