Grassley: GAO report shows agencies lack reliable data on special government employees

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently recommended steps to improve the reliability of data on special government employees (SGE) in response to a review requested by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Grassley asked the GAO to review the SGE designation to determine whether it works as intended following reports that Huma Abedin used SGE special status to simultaneously work at the State Department and with private sector entities, including the Clinton Foundation.

“The report shows government agencies are having trouble determining who should be given this designation, and what’s needed to process the designation,” Grassley said. “The GAO also found that agencies have weak internal coordination in determining which employees are SGEs. Paperwork and reporting to the Office of Government Ethics are inconsistent. This is worrisome because if the government isn’t properly tracking who has the designation, it may not be looking at whether anyone has a conflict of interest with government service and a private sector job.”

The GAO evaluated five agencies – the Justice Department, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the State Department, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Science Foundation. The evaluation recommended that HHS take steps to improve the reliability of data on SGEs not serving on federal boards and determine whether other agencies are experiencing data challenges similar to those identified in the five agencies that were studied.

“Also, the special government employment designation by law cannot extend beyond 130 days,” Grassley said. “However, the executive branch routinely breaches that requirement and lets people serve longer in that capacity. For example, Ms. Abedin served significantly more than 130 days. It’s a problem when special government employees serve longer than the law provides.”

The SGE time restriction makes it clear that an employee cannot be paid indefinitely while working for the private sector at the same time, Grassley added.

“The executive branch should not do an end run around Congress and ignore the time restriction or use the designation merely to allow current federal employees to enhance their income with outside employment that might present conflicts of interest,” Grassley said. “I am looking into legislation that reinforces the 130-day designation and makes crystal clear that special government employees should be limited to temporary positions for those with specialized expertise outside government.”