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B-212634 1 (1983-10-12)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadrva0001 and id is 1 raw text is: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES 218 WASHiNGTOND.C. 20548 B-212634 October 12, 1983 The Honorable Mike Synar Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Committee on Government Operations House of Representatives Dear Mr. Chairman: By letter dated August 2, 1983, you requested our views regarding the propriety of a reception hosted by the Secretary of the Interior at his office on July 4, 1983. We conclude that the Secretary was authorized to use his discretionary fund for official reception and representation expenses to pay for this party. We have been informed by Interior officials that the Secre- tary invited approximately 800 people to his office for a party on the evening of July 4 to celebrate Independence Day. Among the invited guests was a select group of Interior employees and their families and/or friends, and congressmen and congressional staff aides and their families and/or friends. The guests were served hot dogs, soft drinks and an assortment of snack foods. Also, the guests were able to observe the traditional fireworks display on the Mall from the roof of the Interior Department. The total cost of this party was $3112.82. Of the total amount, $1614.95 constituted the payroll costs of the 15 Interior employees who assisted in the preparation and the cleanup of the party. The remaining $1497.87 spent included the cost of the food, kitchen supplies, chair rental and other items purchased for the party. We have been informed by our audit staff that this entire amount either was initially or subsequently charged against the Secretary's discretionary fund. In 1983, the Office of the Secretary of the Interior was ap- propriated $10,000 for official reception and representation ex- penses. Interior Department and Related 49encies, Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1983, P . L. No. 97-394,j96 Stat. 1880 (1982). In a previous decision,(B4-206173, February 23, 1982, we noted that o agency heads have traditionally been accorded a great deal of dis- 2 cretion by the Congress in the expenditure of this type of fund. As such, any event which is hosted by an agency head and which relates to the function of the agency, can be funded from this type of account. Accordingly, we held that expenses attributable to an agency Christmas party which was hosted by the Secretary of the Interior were chargeable to the Secretary's discretionary account. Id.

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