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What Is Abuse of Federal Resources
Abuse occurs when soneone behaves improperly or
unreasonably, or misuses a position or authority.
This includes intentional destruction, diversion, manipulation,
or excessive use of government resources. Abuse of authority
is one type of abuse where someone misuses their position or
authority for personal gain. Abuse involves deficient or
improper behavior when compared with behavior that a
prudent person would consider reasonable and necessary
given the facts and circumstances. This definition can involve
federal funds as well as goods and services not directly
financial in nature. Program officials or the Office of Inspector
General (OIG) are usually responsible for determining whether
an action constitutes abuse within programs or operations.
Why This Matters
Abuse, while often present alongside fraud and waste,
can itself cause substantial loss to the federal
government. For example, the Veterans Affairs (VA)
Office of Inspector General reported that potential abuse
of overtime pay within one VA division cost the federal
government as much as $23.8 million during fiscal years
2017 and 2018. Abuse can also be an indicator of
further malfeasance as bad actors often abuse their
authority to commit fraud and other crimes.
Distinguishing abuse from fraud or waste can be
difficult, requiring an assessment of the specific facts
and circumstances. This GAOverview is part of a series
aimed at helping officials better detect and prevent
fraud, waste, and abuse.
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Identifying abuse requires an understanding of an agency's rules.
For example, agency rules may allow an employee to use a government vehicle for commuting. However,
Z4 if the employee uses the vehicle for vacationing, it would be abuse. But what about using the vehicle to
t riun n errand or stop for dinner on the way home? Would that be abuse? The agency can prevent abuse
by helping employees understand the agency's resource rules and any exceptions. The agency can also
train staff on what abuse looks like in its programs. In this example, that might involve clarifying that an
errand that is 1 mile or less out of the way is acceptable, or that no deviation from commuting is allowed.
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The level of oversight and monitoring for abuse varies.
By law, some programs receive more monitoring. For example, the Government Charge Card Abuse
Prevention Act of 2012 requires OIGs to monitor government charge card programs-like travel credit
cards or purchase cards. Oversight to identify indicators of abuse can help agency officials better prevent
or detect it. For example, indicators of charge card abuse include: using a travel card to purchase
personal items; cash withdrawals while not traveling for work or of unusually high amounts; purchases
made on holidays or weekends when employees are not working; purchases made after an employee
has separated from the agency; and carrying a monthly balance on a government charge card account. If
indicators of credit card abuse are identified through monitoring, OIGs might investigate further or
recommend that agencies take actions to suspend an account, strengthen internal controls to prevent
future abuse, or provide training to employees to clarify agency policies.
Different environments may present unique abuse risks.
The government has activities around the world, in many different environments. These different
environments may present unique abuse risks. For instance, identifying and preventing abuse of US
foreign aid can be challenging because bribery and corruption are more prevalent in some countries. If
program officials do not fully understand the environment, for example through a risk assessment, the
program and its success might be thwarted by abuse. Areas that have experienced disasters may also
present unique abuse risks. Program officials may abuse their position to authorize disaster assistance
for ineligible friends or family. Or they may abuse their program knowledge to instruct applicants on how
to apply for benefits they are not eligible for. Managers should establish a culture that advocates for zero
tolerance of abuse.
GAO-24-106458 Understanding Abuse of Federal Programs
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