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GSA under fire for possible kickback scheme

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    Rep. Charles Boustany weighs in on investigation

  • Duration 3:26
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Welcome back remember this image of GSA commissioner Jeff -- on that lavish Las Vegas trip paid for by you the taxpayer well now the agency.

Is under fire yet again this time it's an alleged kickback scheme where building contractors working on Green energy projects.

Reportedly received tax breaks in exchange for cash payments.

Back to the GSA joining us with more on this is the winning.

She Charles -- he's leading an investigation good morning to -- -- Good morning great to be with today good to have you explain exactly how this system worked.

Well this is a tax deduction.

That contractors get for doing energy efficiency improvements and it just came to light.

Last week.

That GSA is asking for a pay back -- 19%.

Of that debt tax deduction in order for the contract to to receive.

The contract in the allocation.

Not that's not a kickback I don't know what is.

This is very disturbing.

Well here's what the GSA's telling us quote in May 2011.

GSA launched a small.

Pilot program to reinvest funds for energy efficiency upgrades on federal buildings in December 2011 the pilot program and it.

During that seven month period no contractors took part of the program.

And no money was paid to the GSA so I guess because it.

Failed.

Therefore they are off the hook why did no one participate in the program.

Well I suspect a lot of contractors thought something was fishy with this.

It is -- it looked awfully like a kickback scheme and I think most contractor said whoa we're not gonna get involved in this.

But we need to find out what exactly was going on with all of this I've demanded all the documentation related to this particular tax deduction from GSA.

But I also want to know.

What fourteen other department to doing it for other agencies including the EPA -- doing with this.

And if any other contractor out there.

Has been subject to this kind of kickback scheme then I wanna know and I would hope that they would contact my office.

-- not a broad skill congressman in this -- is not about.

This kickback scheme and it's -- -- -- government agencies is there are going to be.

An entire overhaul of government agencies and who was watching over their spending does there need to be.

Well I can tell you the house Ways and Means Committee and its oversight subcommittee.

That I chair has been vigorously looking at these types of things to root out the sort of abuse.

And we did we do have other committees in congress that are working on this and so.

We have to take oversight very very seriously.

We have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollar.

Waste fraud and abuse is not to be tolerated.

At at any level and so I'm determined to look at all of this very thoroughly.

Because a scheme like this lends itself to all kinds of corruption.

And at a time when we are dealing with fiscal condemned the conditions that are not good we've got debt and deficits.

We have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and I'm determined to root out any waste fraud and abuse that we confined.

As well listen these types of kickback schemes it appears there's an awful lot of it congressman Charles -- -- from Louisiana we appreciate you being here have a great weekend.

Great to be with you thank.

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