Senator Joni K. Ernst (R-Iowa) has sent a scathing letter to newly confirmed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Scott Turner, alleging significant mismanagement and abuse within the agency.
The letter, dated April 21, 2025, details allegations of employees receiving taxpayer-funded salaries while residing outside of their designated work locations, taking unauthorized vacations, and even being paid while incarcerated.
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Ernst’s letter highlights several specific cases, including a HUD employee allegedly living in Florida while receiving Washington, D.C. locality pay, and another employee in Denver accused of taking vacations while claiming to work remotely on “100% taxpayer-funded union time” (TFUT). The letter also references a previous case involving a HUD employee who was paid while incarcerated on multiple DUI charges and was later terminated for embezzling union funds.
“These allegations are not the first of their kind to be leveled at HUD employees,” Ernst wrote, referencing a previous letter sent to the former acting secretary. “HUD’s payroll systems and telework employee oversight processes allowed this employee’s malfeasance to remain entirely undetected until I brought her to the attention of the appropriate officials.”
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Ernst’s letter also criticizes HUD’s overall workforce management and space utilization, citing a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found HUD headquarters had a mere 7% utilization rate, the lowest of any major agency. She also points to findings from the HUD Inspector General, which revealed issues with locality pay accuracy and employees claiming excessively long commutes.
The Senator expressed particular concern over a recently finalized contract between HUD and the employee union, which extends until July 2029. Ernst argues that the agreement “ratifies: broad telework privileges, generous allocations of TFUT, hamstrung performance review processes, and even use of agency office space for union activities.”
“Needless to say, we may just be scratching the surface,” Ernst stated in her letter. “I am heartened by the fact that HUD employees, who know Americans deserve better, are the ones telling me about their own coworkers engaging in behavior unbecoming of a federal employee.”
Ernst concluded her letter by calling for immediate reform and pledging to work with Secretary Turner to bring accountability to the HUD workforce. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that “Washington works for America, rather than the other way around.”
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The allegations come at a time when housing affordability is a critical issue across the United States. Ernst highlighted the rising costs of homeownership and rental properties, exacerbated by factors such as restrictive zoning and lengthy permitting processes.
HUD has yet to release an official statement in response to Senator Ernst’s letter. The allegations are expected to prompt further scrutiny of the agency’s management practices and potentially lead to congressional investigations.
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