More evidence that government is incapable of being charitable.

I hate to say "I told you so", but I do nothing but tell you so.

WRIC: Congressional audit uncovers widespread fraud in Katrina, Rita aid

From luxury vacations to a sex change operation, much of the money meant to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was lost to fraud.

An audit by congressional investigators concluded that up to one-point-four billion dollars of hurricane assistance funding was spent for bogus reasons. A House committee looks at the fraud issue today.

The audit found that people lodged in hotels after the storms often were paid twice, since FEMA gave them individual rental assistance and paid hotels directly. In one case, the agency paid California hotels eight-thousand dollars to house one person, who received three rental assistance payments for both Katrina and Rita.

The findings are the latest black eye for FEMA, which took widespread criticism for its handling of the hurricanes last year.

Hmmm...Let me get this straight. It was FEMA's fault when they tried to keep track of the billions of tax dollars flowing into the Gulf Coast states after the hurricanes ("How dare you! Give those poor people the money this instant!") and now it's FEMA's fault the money was used for hookers, booze, trips, and plasma screen televisions?