Ernst Exposes Jailbird Bureaucrat, Demands Investigation Into Telework Abuse at HUD

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) demanded an explanation from U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrienne Todman after a whistleblower revealed a federal employee was paid in full and received no discipline for being arrested for drinking and driving and spending time in jail – all while on the clock.

In addition to seeking clarity on this incident, Ernst questioned the guardrails HUD has in place to ensure federal employees are held to the highest standards of conduct, whether they are working remotely or engaging in union activities on the public dime. She also pressed for a comprehensive accounting of the costs associated with taxpayer-funded union time.

“On the day Ms. Vargas drank and drove on the taxpayer dime, she is alleged to have successfully claimed and received payment, asserting she was engaged in union activities pursuant to taxpayer-funded union time. It is unacceptable for any employee to be paid on taxpayer-funded union time while sitting in a jail cell,” wrote Ernst.

Click here to view the full letter.

Background:

Ernst has been exposing locality pay and telework abuse throughout the federal government.

In June 2024, an audit she requested revealed one in four Department of Commerce employees had moved to areas with lower rates of pay but still received the higher pay rates associated with higher cost of living areas.

Ernst demanded an investigation into locality pay abuse at the U.S. Agency for International Development after an inspector general failed to investigate glaring examples of timecard fraud.

In March 2024, Ernst introduced the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act to track the total amount taxpayers are subsidizing federal employee unions.

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