I'm Shocked, I Tell You!

Coming soon to stimulus spending near you:

Design and engineering companies helping to build the nation's highways ran up millions of dollars in inappropriate charges at the expense of taxpayers, including bills for parties, luxury car leases and hefty paychecks for executives, according to auditors....

A main reason cited for the misspending was the reliance on private accountants paid by the firms undergoing review. The accountants in some cases appeared to put their clients' interests ahead of taxpayers....

The role of certified public accountants became a focus in part because officials from nine states expressed concerns about their independence. The auditors found that highway contractors sometimes hired accountants that were not qualified to perform the reviews required by state and federal regulations. In many cases, they "hired firms with whom they had existing relationships."

I'm sure nothing like this would happen at the Pentagon.