May 2, 2012 – Legal staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration went on a three-day conference in Philadelphia this week, but no one from the agency will say what the meeting’s purpose was, why the location was chosen and how much it cost taxpayers.
The meeting has raised red flags within the agency, according to sources close to NOAA law enforcement, especially in the wake of the recent scandal plaguing the General Services Administration. That agency, which handles much of the federal government's procurement, came under intense fire after it was revealed that 300 of its employees went on an extravagant trip to Las Vegas, Nev., in 2010, costing taxpayers more than $820,000.
OAA is the parent agency of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Two sources familiar with the NOAA Office of the General Counsel trip, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting's location may look suspicious, since there are no NOAA facilities in Philadelphia other than weather stations. This means the cost of the trip — hotel rooms, meals, travel — would be paid for by the public.
The conference was held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel from Monday through today.
Adam Issenberg, a section chief with the General Counsel's Fisheries and Protective Resources Section, said Tuesday that the conference was taking place but that he "is not in a position to speak" to the press about the nature of the meeting.