Probe Urged of NTIA on IANA Transition, Air Travel Spending
Americans for Limited Government raised concerns in a report Thursday about what it views as NTIA’s violation of the ban on its use of funds for the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition, which the group said it reported to…
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the Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General. “The actions of officials in the NTIA in many instances have been directly in conflict with the appropriations language that was enacted into law by Congress,” including multiple speeches by NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling on the IANA transition and the use of federal funding for NTIA staff to attend ICANN meetings, ALG said in the report. “The amount of appropriated funds ... being expended by NTIA to continue its efforts to relinquish its responsibilities are unknown at this point, but the agency is clearly expending appropriated funds for this purpose.” ALG cited an expenditure request by NTIA Office of International Affairs Senior Policy Adviser Suzanne Radell for “approval of other than coach-class” airfare for Radell to travel to ICANN’s Oct. 18-22 meeting in Dublin. ALG said Strickling and other NTIA staff also traveled to the ICANN meeting, which centered on planning for the IANA transition and a related set of changes to ICANN’s accountability mechanisms (see 1510160058). “Congress prohibited” NTIA from spending money on the IANA transition, “yet NTIA continues to act as if that prohibition does not apply to it,” ALG said. “NTIA officials should also refrain from improperly using premium travel to any such conferences.” ALG President Nathan Mehrens urged Commerce’s OIG in February to investigate Radell’s purchase of “premium” airfare to travel to the Dublin meeting, saying the expenditure violated federal rules and the NTIA rider. Mehrens also urged the OIG to “investigate other actions NTIA is taking to relinquish its responsibilities as discussed above, and take further appropriate action to ensure that taxpayer funds are protected and not spent in violation of the law.” NTIA didn’t comment.