Should A Federal Employee Who Embezzles Receive A Pension?

Today’s press release from California Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee:

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., today announced the introduction of legislation designed to deny pensions to federal employees convicted of embezzling or otherwise stealing taxpayer money or property as defined under section 641 of Title 18 of the U.S. code.

“When federal employees are convicted of stealing from the American people, the taxpayer should not be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of pension benefits,” said Chairman Issa.

The bill was announced at a hearing focusing on former Environmental Protection Agency employee John Beale, who recently pled guilty to stealing almost $900,000 from the federal government by receiving bonuses he was not entitled to and by claiming to be a CIA employee and not showing up for work at EPA for years on end.

Under current law, federal employees can only lose their pensions if they are convicted of crimes like treason and espionage.