A Committee investigation revealed that John Walters, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and his deputies traveled to 20 events with vulnerable Republican members of Congress in the months prior to the 2006 elections. The trips were paid for entirely by federal taxpayers and several were combined with the announcement of federal grants or actions that benefited the districts of the Republican members.
As a result of this investigation, Congress reduced the travel budget for the Office of National Drug Control Policy by 25% for fiscal year 2008. The budget limitation included an express warning that travel by agency officials “should occur for official business reasons only, not for political gain.”
