DOI paid $6 million to 242 employees while on paid leave

Ethan Barton

Department of the Interior (DOI) officials were paid $6 million while on extended administrative leave – often while under investigation for misconduct – without documented approval, a government watchdog reported Wednesday. The $6 million went to 242 DOI employees on administrative leave for at least 45 days between January 2013 and July 2016, the agency’s Inspector General (IG) reported. Of the 30 employees the IG sampled, 22 “were put on administrative leave for matters related to misconduct allegations,” the report said. Similarly, personnel matters, including misconduct investigations, are the most common reason for extended administrative leave, according to the Government Accountability Office...more