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Report: Amtrak cost taxpayers millions
Associated Press
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
by Leslie Miller
© Copyright 2006 AP
Amtrak cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary legal
expenses, an independent investigator said Wednesday.
The legal department of the federally subsidized passenger railroad failed to
properly manage its outside law firms, which charged $103 million from June 2002
through June 2005, according to a review by the Transportation Department's
inspector general.
"In-house counsel was co-opted," John
Toothman,
a consultant working with the inspector general, told a news conference.
"They're in bed with them, they're not managing them."
Amtrak's law department responded that the review didn't take into account "the
rigorous oversight of work done by outside counsel."...
"We may not know what the total loss is," [Congressman] Mica said.
Toothman agreed with Mica's estimate but said that Amtrak is probably not unique among government agencies.
"My suspicion is that it's toward the bad end," said Toothman, who has investigated other government agencies.
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