Federal official resigns over excessive spending

last updated 8 January 2015

The head of the General Services Administration resigned this week after it was reported that her agency spent $823,000 on a Las Vegas conference that included a mind reader, a comedian, and a clown. Martha Johnson, the GSA’s top official, stepped down after she fired two of her deputies for the “excessive and wasteful” conference that reportedly left President Obama fuming. In addition to the $3,200 for the mind reader, clown, and comedian, another $6,300 was spent on a commemorative coin set complete with velvet boxes, and $75,000 on a “team building” exercise. Calling the lavish conference a “significant misstep,” Johnson admitted that “taxpayer dollars were squandered.”