Doyle “Defends” Failing to Follow Travel Policy

Bwhahahaha!

“Nothing I do is secret or undocumented, as they claim,” Doyle said in a meeting with The Post-Crescent editorial board.

A recent report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, based on an investigation by the paper, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and a University of Wisconsin-Madison reporting class, found that “three-fourths of the time in 2007 and 2008, Doyle and his staff didn’t supply receipts as required under state travel policy.”

Doyle defended his office’s record keeping. He said he uses credit cards in travel “to make sure that every expense was accounted for” and that credit card bills show what was purchased.

First, the travel policy specifically states that he must provide receipts.  He hasn’t.  He may think that credit card statements are fine, but that doesn’t make it comply to policy.  Furthermore, he DID provide receipts 25% of the time, so someone apparently thought that it was necessary to file them.  Perhaps if Doyle had never filed a single receipt, his excuse would fly.  It would still be against policy, but at least it would be consistent. 

Second, credit card statements are nowhere near as accountable as actual receipts.  A credit card statement may tell us that Doyle spent $5,000 at the Hilton.  That’s all it tells us.  The receipt will tell us how many nights he stayed and the room rate.  It will tell us the taxes.  It will also tell us if he was getting room service, massages, or wine sent up to the room.  In other words, a receipt tells us whether or not he is actually complying with the rest of the travel policy or not.  A credit card statement does none of that, which is exactly why the travel policy requires a receipt. 

Doyle is arrogantly and flagrantly violating state policy.