Widening probe suggests Neely's wife benefited from GSA spending
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The widening investigation into questionable spending by General Services Administration official Jeff Neely and other alleged abuses within the agency suggests Neely’s wife was also living large on taxpayer money -- with perks including vacations, catered parties and even a free parking spot.
Some of the most specific details about Deb Neely’s involvement have emerged over the past few days of congressional hearings, following the April 2 inspector general’s report about an $823,000 Las Vegas conference organized by her husband.
GSA inspector general Brian Miller said Wednesday during a Senate hearing on GSA that Neely’s wife had a dedicated parking space at an agency facility in California.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Even today, we found out that the wife of the regional commissioner (Neely) had a parking space throughout the year of 2012 at the federal building," he said.
Sources familiar with the investigation later confirmed to Fox News that Deb Neely was afforded the parking spot at the San Francisco office.
Other records indicate that Neely's wife "personally handled party arrangements, directed the actions of federal employees and ordered thousands of dollars of food at taxpayer expense," Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said Monday during a House oversight hearing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also said Neely's wife once reportedly impersonated a federal employee so she could join her husband at a private sector conference.
“The impression conveyed by these documents is that Mr. Neely and his wife believed they were some sort of agency royalty who used taxpayer funds to bankroll their lavish lifestyle,” said Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Investigations also uncovered what appears to be an e-mail from Neely to his wife in which he talks about taking her on an official, 17-day trip to Hawaii and Guam as a possible "birthday present."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She wrote back: "Its yo birthday ... We gonna pawty like iz yo birthday!"
Inspector general Miller also said that an investigation into dozens of items allegedly stolen from the agency, including iPods, showed that Neely’s daughter was downloading songs from one of the iPods from an account connected to her father.
“I know. I am bad,” Jeff Neely wrote in another e-mail apparently inviting friends to a conference, released as part of the investigations. “But as Deb and I say often, why not enjoy it while we have it and while we can. Ain’t going to last forever.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An attorney for Jeff Neely has not responded to a request for comment from FoxNews.com.