A report published by the DOE Office of Inspector General says the agency has been unable to locate $500,000 worth of equipment purchased with stimulus money. The $500,000 was part of a $2 billion Recovery Act dispersment given to the Advanced Batteries and Hybrid Components Program to "support the construction of U.S. based battery and electric drive component manufacturing plants."
But the report won’t say where the equipment was lost, or who lost it:“It would not be appropriate to release the name of stimulus-money recipient where the $500,000 worth of equipment could not be located.”
This is not the first time the OIG’s found “monetary misplacement” in the Advanced Batteries and Hybrid Components Program. In April 2010, it conducted a similar audit. According to the OIG
“A follow-up audit was necessary, in part, because [the OIG] wanted to evaluate circumstances related to an allegation received by the Office of Inspector General that an employee of one recipient had unduly influenced procurement decisions and violated conflict of interest provisions.”
