Rep.
Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has introduced Amendment #40 to H.R. 5895, Energy
and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019.
The amendment is asking to reduce the salary of the Administrator of
the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Mark Gabriel, to $1.
Since it is almost impossible to fire a government bureaucrat Congress
is left with one option, the Holman Rule, and Mr. Gabriel has done more
than enough to earn his $1 salary.
ABC15 Phoenix, Arizona conducted an investigation and found millions in
fraudulent spending, with David Biscobing reporting, “Credit card
statements and receipts obtained by ABC15 highlight the high-dollar and
extremely questionable purchases: An employee bought $2,933 of
ammunition even though WAPA employees don’t have government-issued
guns… There were thousands of dollars spent on specialized weapons
gear, including multiple $1,200 rifle scopes… Dozens of handwritten
receipts – some for thousands of dollars, were submitted and approved…
One employee bought himself a $14,000 ATV, Cloud said. Receipts show
the employee spread the loan payments out over several months on his
government credit card.”
Sounds a lot like 18 U.S.C. § 644 which prohibits persons who are
not
authorized depositaries of public money from knowingly receiving any
such money or using, transferring, converting, appropriating or
applying such money for any purpose not prescribed by law. Or in
layman’s terms embezzlement.
Gabriel also allowed a hostile work environment to exist. WAPA’s chief
of security, Keith Cloud, said, “the situation was harrowing due to a
gun culture within the agency. As some employees began making threats
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