US military embezzles public money for personal expenses
According to a Pentagon audit revealed by specialist media outlet Task & Purpose, several members of the US military have used their government travel cards for inappropriate purposes. By 2023, more than 500,000 dollars would have been spent on casinos, nightclubs, online gambling and alcohol consumption.
Large-scale dubious spending
The audit, entitled “Audit of the DoD Government Travel Charge Card Program: The Visa IntelliLink Compliance Management SystemThe “DoD Government Travel Charge Card Program: The Visa IntelliLink Compliance Management System” report looked at fraud and unauthorized spending on business travel charge cards.
Among the most striking cases, a soldier withdrew nearly $10,633 in the space of five monthsmainly from the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino in Maryland. While some withdrawal attempts were blocked, several transactions were successful.
The investigators also noted that many of these irregular expenditures took place on holidays or major festive events such as the Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo.
Google Play, an epicenter of unjustified spending
The audit also points out that Google is one of the leading beneficiaries of these illegal expenses. Between 2020 and 2024, around $150,000 was spent by military personnel on the Google Play platform, often on mobile apps.
These abuses are not a first. In 2015, a similar audit conducted by the Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s Office uncovered nearly $1 million spent at casinos and around $100,000 at strip clubs.
Cards for mission expenses
Currently, the U.S. Army holds approximately 2.3 million government travel cards, used to finance official military travel. By 2023, nearly 6.4 billion dollars were disbursed via these cards in the course of 24 million transactions, the majority of which complied with current regulations.
These cards, officially called “Government Travel Charge Cards” (GTCC), enable military personnel to cover their mission expenses, including accommodation, catering and car rental. They also offer benefits such as insurance coverage for rental cars, lost luggage and personal injury.
However, their use for personal purposes is strictly forbidden. In the face of these repeated abuses, the military authorities may have to step up controls to prevent further abuses.
