Report Questions MWAA Directors' Spending

$9,000 ticket to Prague among expenses questioned

A new report from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has questioned the expenses claimed by members of the authority's board of directors, according to the Washington Post.

The report criticizes the authority's board for lax rules and procedures regarding the claiming of expenses.

Among the most egregious examples the Post cited were a business-class airplane ticket to Prague that cost $9,192.30. It was booked in October 2010 by board member Dennis Martire, vice president and Mid-Atlantic regional manager of the Laborers' International Union of North America.

In another case, the report noted that meal expenses for some board members and their guests exceeded $4,800 at a conference in Hawaii. The meals included lobster tails, veal, crab cakes, and seared foie gras.

The report criticizes the board for not having specific guidelines to limit travel costs (i.e. booking tickets earlier for a cheaper fare) as well as not having "suggested limits or thresholds" for food and flights relating to MWAA business.

Quince Brinkley, the board's secretary and vice president told the Post that members required flexibility in their booking schedule, since they are not full-time agency employees.

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