Inspector General Now Eating Crow Over Muffins

In a revised audit of the Department of Justice Conference Planning and Food and Beverage Costs, the Inspector General has apologized for accusing the department of spending $16 per muffin.

“After further review of the newly provided documentation and information, and after discussions with the Capital Hilton and the Department, we determined that our initial conclusions concerning the itemized costs of refreshments at the EOIR conference were incorrect and that the Department did not pay $16 per muffin.”

So how much did the muffins really cost?

A Department of Justice spokeswoman would only refer to her previous statement, dated September 23, in defending the Department: “The abbreviated banquet checks did not reflect all of the food and services provided. The package consisted of food, beverages, staff services and function space, including a 450-seat ballroom and more than a dozen workshop and breakout rooms each of the five days of the conference. ‪”

So to summarize: they paid $16, yes, but for that amount they received food, beverages, staff services and function space, not just a single muffin.