Kempthorne spent $235,000 in taxpayer money to renovate his bathroom.
Kempthorne spent $235,000 in taxpayer money to renovate his bathroom.
The Washington Post’s Al Kamen reports today that outgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently spent about $235,000 in taxpayer funds to renovate the bathroom in his fifth-floor office. The renovations included “installing a new shower, a refrigerator and a freezer and buying monogrammed towels.” An internal investigation by the department’s inspector general, however, found no wrongdoing on Kempthorne’s part “because the GSA had approved the project“:
The General Services Administration approved and partially funded the project, an Interior Department official said. The GSA paid about half the cost to refurbish aging plumbing, which needed to be replaced within four years.
But department officials say much of the money was spent on lavish wood paneling and tile.
An Interior Department spokesperson did not return Kamen’s calls requesting comment.
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15 more days to enjoy it….
January 5th, 2009 at 9:59 amLet him take a crap in a hole in the ground or in a port-a-potty, like our soldiers. Why should we pay a dime for this dude to defecate in luxury?
Who in their right mind puts a freezer in the bathroom?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:02 amDirk Kempthorne at Interior and Steven Johnson at EPA. Don’t let the door hit your sorry asses on the way out. Good riddance.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:05 ammonogrammed towels?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:09 amthat kind of money could buy a very nice house…
i don’t get the nerve that kind of person exhibits…
just don’t get it.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:09 amA refrigerator and freezer?
In a bathroom?
Is he storing stool samples?
Or does he eat on the toilet?
I’d love to hear the excuse.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:14 amThe renovations included “installing a new shower, a refrigerator and a freezer (in his renovated bathroom)
– - Apparently Kempthorne DOES sh*t where he eats.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:14 amWhat Repug doesn’t need a freezer in their bathroom? They learned well from Rep. William Jefferson (D-La). Who says bi-partisanship is dead?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:14 amFor $235,000, you could build an entire house!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:15 amWho *doesn’t* have a refrigerator in their bathroom?????
I have a feeling there’s going to be plenty more stories like this after 2 weeks. Just wait ’til all those people who were once afraid of losing their jobs start speaking up.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:15 amThe refrigerator isn’t as weird as a freezer.
What was he freezing?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:20 amHis bribes.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:26 amMarcus Aurelius Says:
Let him take a crap in a hole in the ground or in a port-a-potty, like our soldiers. Why should we pay a dime for this dude to defecate in luxury?
Well, he is the Secretary of the Interior, not Exterior.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:26 amoutgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently
This is the disconnect that I don’t understand. This guy’s not going to be around to enjoy the interior redecoration. Makes me wonder, who is he paying off with the work and for what?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:28 amThis would be comic gold were it not so disturbing. What a fine example of the totality of the Bush administration.
And the comments on this thread are hilarious! Y’all beat me to it, and in such fine form!
PEACE
January 5th, 2009 at 10:29 amHow much of a surprise would it be to find out the wood paneling is hardwood from the Amazon rainforest, the toilet uses 5 gal/flush, not a low flow nozzle on the shower, and the refer was not an energy star. And monogrammed towels? What the hell is that all about?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:37 amPlease, people. This is a fellow who heads up a department where the staff does blow — and each other — on the job. He needs a nice place for his stash and a discreet place to shower after — whatever.
The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com
January 5th, 2009 at 10:40 amSalazar will have a particularly lavish suite when he takes over in a few weeks. Then the repugs will blame him for living so grandly.
Spending taxpayer money on individual peccadilloes of Kempthorne is beyond comprehension considering the economy today. Then again, repugs have always behaved as if their
January 5th, 2009 at 10:46 amsh!t don’t stink!
Yeah, but Blago allegedly tried to sell a senate seat? Which is more important to taxpayers? Which one will get more capitalist, corporate media coverage?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:47 amBush and Repugs made “pay for play” ubiquitous the last eight years, only they controlled the Just Us Department.
Guess who they’re aiming at their last few days in office? The Blue team.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:50 amAll I know is if I’m ever in D.C. I’m exercising my right as a taxpayer to use that bathroom.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:51 amC’mon people! You know republicans like to socialize in bathrooms!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:54 amWith all the real crimes, the lies, the theft, the murders…this article seems a bit overwrought.
“lavish wood paneling and tile“? Gimme a break. I come to ThinkProgress every day, sometimes several times a day, and I expect better than this…
BESIDES this limp article, keep up the good work, TP!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:02 amI’d like to flush that barstid down his own gold-plated john.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:05 amIt’s reasonable to expect the government to foot the bill on necessary renovations to government employees’ offices, restrooms, work environments, etc. But I’m having a hard time believing that “necessary” renovations to a bathroom (including “lavish wood paneling” — from where? the Amazon rainforest?) would cost as much as an average home in most of the United States.
How does Kempthorne’s bathroom compare with those of other cabinet members? Or Senators? Or Congressmen? For that kind of money, I’d be willing to bet that Kempthorne’s bathroom is even more posh than Bush’s private toilet next to the Oval Office.
As a taxpayer, I think it’s fair to pay for old, leaky, or corroded plumbing. Any obvious cracked or peeling plaster or peeling wallpaper should be taken care of. I think it’s also fair to perform modest refurbishing to government workspaces (including bathrooms) every decade or two. And, of course, if the person using it is disabled in some way and requires some handicap-access features, this is reasonable.
But unless Kempthorne can come up with a valid reason why he needs to spend so much money on a place where he only needs to pee, take a dump, wash his hands, or maybe even take a shower, this kind of cost is nothing but obscene.
I hope the next Interior Secretary enjoys it.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:13 amMonogrammed towels? Do they say “SDI” (Secretary of Dept of Interior)? Because Ken Salazar’s initials aren’t the same as Dirk Kempthorne’s, so it sounds like Kempthorne plans on stealing some government towels. Check his luggage on the way out.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:33 amSince the government is into deficit spending these days, this is over a quarter of a million in debt, more than the median income of 4 working families, we the taxpayers now owe, just so he can “go” in style.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:38 amMost likely the actual renovations were a reasonable $35,000.
The left-over $200,000 is merely an advance payment for unlimited access to male prostitutes.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:41 amThis makes us wonder why we are still paying taxes!
When a government official abuses taxpayers’ fund and there’s no accountability or punishment enforced, then we the people should be able to refuse to pay. Can they go after more than 100 millions if they all refuse to pay?
January 5th, 2009 at 11:46 amIf we put things in perspective, this abuse isn’t that big. Look, Bush has wasted hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money in the last 8 miserable years. So, this $235K of tax money get wasted by one of Bush’s miserable failure (Kempthorne himself) isn’t that much. Bush is burning up over a billion a day in Iraq but we’re still living in “fear”.
The people should channel their anger and rage on Bush and his supporters. So where are these cowards hiding? Go to church and you’ll these people.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:52 amMaybe this is why Dirk needs a fully equipped office….
http://www.43rdstateblues.com/?q=node/2520
January 5th, 2009 at 11:53 amWhat’s the problem? He’s Sec. of the Interior and he spent money on an interior renovation.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:57 amNevar – I think you might be onto something there!
January 5th, 2009 at 12:20 pmMust do a lot of entertaining there.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pmNo surprises there. After 9/11, Gov Plastic Man spent a HUGE amount of state money on his personal security. The terrorists were hot on that tail!
I wonder if Dirk & Larry have enough room to tap dance in that bathroom…?
January 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pmMust be a helluva bathroom! I could build a whole frigging house for that!
January 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pmWonder if he invites Larry Craig over to play…
January 5th, 2009 at 1:09 pmI’d like to know who the contractors and subcontractors were on this job. $235,000 for a bathroom renovation? That’s B.S. Even as lavish as it sounds, including (a refrigerator & freezer!?!), I can’t even begin to believe all the money went for that purpose. Some kind of kick-back or payoff involved in this scheme, bet ya!!
January 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pmtigger – go to the link @32
January 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pmimpeachcheneythenbush Says:
I’d like to know who the contractors and subcontractors were on this job.
Todd Palin and his buddies (they work really fast), Joe the Plumber, and Tito the Builder.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:01 pmI think the standard should be whatever’s appropriate for the average office building. There should be an agency responsible for enforcing that standard.
.
honeygreen Says:
This makes us wonder why we are still paying taxes!
The Republican majority during the Clinton years tried refusing to pass a spending budget one year on basically the same argument. The problem is when you do that sort of thing you end up holding necessary and important spending hostage as well.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:40 pm“Interior Dept. overturns regulation, clearing the way for concealed, loaded firearms into national parks.”
Maybe the freezer is for all the wild game they shoot.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:00 pmI hope he freezes his weenie off.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:37 pmUmmm … if a contractor told me it would cost $225,000 to “renovate” a bathroom, I’d look for a new contractor.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:51 pmunbelievable Says:
For $235,000, you could build an entire house!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Well, his bathroom is the size of a house.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:50 pmGives a whole new meaning to Secretary of “the Interior”… but I really don’t think that it was supposed to be for “Interior” decorating of an office bathroom…
January 5th, 2009 at 5:16 pmWilling to spend $235 k on a bathroom in an office but they squawk when anyone proposes fixes to the infrastructure of the country like bridges, dams, ash coal retaining walls, levies in New Orleans…. my, my, my. What a bunch of misplaced priorities.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:20 pmWhat did the crook install, a gold-plated crapper.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:40 pm1/4 million for a bathroom. You can BOTH buy the land and build a mansion for that.
With the people out of a home and still rebuilding in NOLA, this would easily pay for 10 houses.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:05 pmY’all seem to be forgetting that Kempthorne is in charge of the Dept of the **INTERIOR** and bathrooms are definitely in the interior.
Apologies in advance.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:08 am