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AFMD-81-36 1 (1981-03-06)

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                            by the Office of CoSt ess eamIRe|ti

                      COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED S-JATES 1 ~ q~1
                               WASHINGTON D.C. 20548
 LORELEASED


 B-196862                                          MARCH 6, 1981




/rhe Honorable Jack Brooks, Chairman
Committee on Government Operations                     1      I
House of Representatives                                  114873

Dear Mr. Chairman:

      Subject: Review of White House and Executive Agency
               Expenditures for Selected Travel, Entertainment,
               and Personnel Costs7(AFMD-81-36)

      On October 16, 1980, you requested a report on our review
 of the possible misuse of appropriated funds before the 1980 elec-
 tion to advance the political candidacy of the incumbent President.
 The review was conducted in response to a September 22, 1980, re-
 quest from 11 members of the United States Senate. An interim
 report issued to you on October 20, 1980, provided information on
 (1) the policies for handling political travel and entertainment
 by White House and executive agency officials and (2) the funding
 used for specific entertainment events. This, our final report,
 addresses certain travel expenses of the President, Vice President,
 and other administration officials; the procedures used to prevent
 misuse of appropriations; and the White House use of other agencies'
 personnel.

      The overriding question raised in our review was whether
 travel, speechmaking, and public appearances by senior-level offi-
 cials (including the President and the Vice President), and other
 personnel actions that may take place during a Presidential cam-
 paign and may directly or indirectly benefit the campaign, consti-
 tute an improper use of appropriated funds. This question has been
 raised by members of both major political parties on various occa-
 sions incident to a Presidential campaign. The question poses the
 very difficult problem of distinguishing between permissible offi-
 cial activities for which appropriated funds are available and
 other activities that are similar in nature but are for purely
 political or partisan purposes. The problem becomes particularly
 troublesome when those activities tend to increase during the late
 stages of a campaign. As to official activities, we have long
 held that the President and his Cabinet and other subordinates
 have a duty to inform the public about Government policies, and
 policymaking officials traditionally have utilized Government
 resources to disseminate information in explanation and defense
 of those policies.



                         ~-~ SI(905029)

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