you knew this went well beyond neily. but i think neily provides the best example of why this goes to the level of fraud, waste, corruption and had he been here today, we'd have a lot more questions for him as well. but he has a good reason to have a lawyer. i've looked at both of this original a year and a half ago as well as the final draft. one thing is clear to me and also miss norton. it doesn't take a look to look at the pictures, parties, see the birthday parties, see the families and friends that are traveling, and understand that there's an ig -- the first ig investigation going on may have last year you had this information i have in my hand holding right now that i just went through on a top line. i can tell you i wouldn't have had anybody traveling. i wouldn't have given anybody bonuses. especially when the president that apointed you had a directive. and your chief of staff michael robert son lets the white house know last sun and you still allowed neilly to take these trips and you knew about it? how is that

neily on administrative leave. i resigned on april 2nd. i just wanted to be sure that's in the record correctly. >> thank you. >> on june of last year, your chief of staff, michael robertson is your chief of staff, correct? >> he was my chief of staff, yes. >> he was the liaison to the white house prior to that. >> before that he was the in policy shop for awhile. >> yes. >> in june of last year, he informed kimmerly harris, white house counsel about this report. did you ever have subsequent meetings with the administration? >> first of all, i learned that yesterday in the testimony, i did not realize he had informed anyone at the white house. we held meetings with the white house after we received the draft report. >> after may 3rd? >> terms of terminology, we termed the may 3rd report, the interim report. and our practice when we have a final report, we give the agency 30 days to respond. at the end of 30 days, we'll publish everything. we technically call that a draft. that draft report was delivered on february 17th with a 30-day notic

neily was slammed and his wife saying they used tax payer money to bankroll their lavish lifestyle >> they disregarded one of the basic services, it is not your money it is taxpayer money. >>> an inspector general report detailed the agencies out landish habits but neily is till on the payroll. the administrator resigned she told lawmakers the conference evolved into an arrogant, self- congratulatory event >> i deeply regret this i will mourn for the rest of my life the loss of my appointment. >> the inspector general said his investigation shows neily is a bully able to continue using taxpayer money inapropriety already for years because employees feared retaliation >> they had a very hostile environment, when someone spoke up they were quote, according to a witness, squashed like a bug, unquote. >> gsa inspector general says he is investigating possible bribery and kick backs in the agency. in washington nicole collins, fox news. >>> another big story, jury selection continued in the trial of roger clemens. fox 5s. paul wagner with the story. >> reporter: when roger clemens left thi

neily is mentioned several times by name all over this report. >> yes, sir. >> ms. brit ta comes back and says he should not be approved for a bonus. the president issues an executive order december 22nd of 2010. so between the president's executive order to his appointed secretary and ms. brit ta coming back and saying he should not be recommended for a bonus and your ig report that shows at a minimum egregious behavior, but probably some criminal action. obviously the doj, we're not going to name names, but the doj have been alerted of criminal action. >> yes. and she also had a final report that identified bad behavior on the part of the regional commissioner. >> so if you're taking the commander in chief, the president who appointed you, serious and you follow the direction and he issued an executive order and your own committee staff said that this is not a good idea, why did you move forward? >> the performance review board was recommend iing bonuses. i don't believe they were covered by the president's executive order. we were encouraged and we were reducing

. >> the latest twist to the store i have involve it is head of gsa western region, jeffrey neily who organized that lavish conference in las vegas that cost tax payers more than $800,000, when according to roll call the agency owned a facility suitable for a large conference. his attorney said he doesn't need to come to dc, since he will plead the fifth any way congressman daryl isa spear heading the hearing said he should appear any way. >> we are learning at getting to the truth and how widespread this is our questions for neily and others will have to do not just about this one event but culture at the gsa we believe he should be able to answer at least some of those questionare hoping he will. >> the agency was embarrassed by a number of videos made during working hours showing gsa employees defying agency spending habits it was part of an event for 300 the agency admitted was over the top. neily could face criminal charges because those services were allegedly not competitively bid. >>> the president was outraged when he heard of the abuse of taxpayer money and the gsa says step

and the gsa official in charge of the lavish conference, jeff neily, asserted his right to remain silent six times. >> mr. chairman, i respectfully decline to answer any questions here today based upon my fifth amendment constitutional privilege. >> reporter: but neily seemed less reticent about his vegas experience on this google post. they appeared to be enjoying an luxury suite which hosted the conference. the conference, which cost taxpayers almost $1 million, drew bipartisan scorn. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money, that's where there's frustration, steaming out of our ears. >> it's not your money. it's the taxpayers' money. >> reporter: taxpayers played for blackjack vests for conference leaders and a commemorative coin and vegas book for all 300 attendees. former gsa administrator martha johnson, who resigned over the scandal took responsibility. >> i personally apologize to the american people. >> reporter: republicans question the $9,000 bonus neely was given last year while he was under investigation. johnson said he had performed well in other key areas and she di

"the new york post" has a photo of jeffrey neily.six times yesterday. >> it really is an amazing piece of congressional history using his constitutional right not to incrimnate himself on the simplest of questions eecven wh his job title was. >> what is your title at gsa. >> mr. chairman on the advice of council i respectfully decline to answer. >> did you attend the 2010 western regional conference in las vegas. >> on advice of my council i decline to answer based on my fifth amendment constitutional privilege. >> six times. what is behind that? he can't answer his own title? >> it is remarkable and obviously he hawse following the advice of his council which is saying nothing you gain a lot. however, it definitely to the general public appears extremely suspicious. it reeks of scandal that someone cannot even answer the question of what they did in their previous job because they are worried about the legality of it. and that is really what chairman was really harping on. a lot of house republicans are saying that. they are going t

yesterday officials in charge of the lavish las vegas trip, the one guy in charge, jeff neily, refused to answer questions from the panel. the trip cost taxpayers almost a million dollars for luxurious rooms and gifts for all 300 attendees. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money, that's where there's frustration just steaming out of our ears. >> it's not your money. it's the taxpayers' money. >> the gsa's administrator, martha johnson, resigned over the scandal. she took responsibility for the incident, apologizing to the american people during that hearing yesterday. neily has been placed on administrative leave but is still being paid. >>> thousands gathered in blacksburg to help remember the victims of the virginia tech shooting five years ago. >> leslie geraldine sherman. >> students and faculty took part in a remembrance ceremony yesterday, reading each of the names of the 32 killed on campus. governor bob mcdonnell also spoke. later they dprthed again for a candlelight vigil. freshmen students who weren't even on the shooting attended the event saying they felt it was the

jeff neily not a household name but this picture of him in a hot tub may make him a symbol of excessivepending by a federal agency charged with keeping government costs down. he is pleading the fifth. >>> in rural positively picks house lawmakers grilled t ahead! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. guys. come here, come here. [ telephone ringing ] i'm calling my old dealership. [ man ] may ford. hi, yeah. do you guys have any crossovers that offer better highway fuel economy than the chevy equinox? no, sorry, sir. we don't. oh, well, that's too bad. [ man ] kyle, is that you? [ laughs ] [ man ] still here, kyle. [ male announcer ] visit your local chevy dealer today. right now, very well qualified lessees can get a 2012 equinox ls for around $229 a month. greetings from the people here sure are friendly but some have had a hard time understanding my accent. so to make sure people get every word of the geico savings message i've been practic

jeff neily not a household name but this picture of him in a hot tub may make him a symbol of excessive spending by a sferl agency charged with keeping government costs down. he is pleading the fifth. ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. >>> in rural positively picks house lawmakers grilled officials of the jeb services administration for more than five hours today in the outrage was palpable. until now the gsa was an object cure agency to keep federal costs down. it is ironic. instead it was doing the exact opposite, squandering tax dollars in lavish spending on its own employees. one of the key people called to testify before congress is a guy named jeff nealy. there

the official in charge of the lavish las vegas trip, jeff neily, refused to answer questions from the. lawmakers slammed officials from the gsa for the trip which cost taxpayers almost a million dollars in luxurious rooms and gifts for all 300 attendees. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money, that's where there's frustration steaming out of our ears. >> it's not your money. it's the taxpayers' money. >> the gsa's administrator, martha johnson, resigned over the scandal. she took responsibility for the incident, apologizes to the american people during -- apologizing to the american people during the history. neil has been placed on leave but is being paid. >>> excessive government spending also found its way into the roger clemens perjury retrail. potential jurors openly questioned if the trial was an effective use of taxpayer time and money. the former all-star pitcher is accused of lying to a congressional committee in 2008. the first trial ended last july in a mistrial when prosecutors introduced inadmissible evidence. if convicted, clemens faces up to 21 months in jail. >

chairman issa says neily should still answer some questions. >> our questions for neily and others willhe gsa and how we change it. we believe that neily should be able to answer at least some of those questions and we're hoping he will. >> brian: maybe rap about it. the oversight comment is one of four panels investigating the gsa. good luck. >> steve: meanwhile, norway extremist anders behring breivik appear not guilty court this morning as his trial gets underway there. he admits he killed 77 people in last year's massacre, but says it was self-defense. huh? a closed fist salute and shook hands with prosecutors. he didn't stop there and said he refused to recognize the power of norwegian courts. oh, good. he leavely said the killing spree was necessary because of a civil war on islam in europe. none of his victims, however, were muslim. he also claimed he's part of a radical militant group based on medieval crusaderses. >> brian: how could they shake his hand? >> steve: okay. >> gretchen: who says romance is dead? daughter homecoming, a girl got more than a hug from her marine boyfri

neily in a hot tub. i know you've seen it.lly? that's kind of scary. i know you got that from his wife's google plus page and his daughter apparently, according to the daily, apparently he took his daughter, carly, with him to hawaii because she posted 38 pictures of the family in hawaii when he simultaneously was in hawaii on official government business. >> he was there for a ribbon cutting. however, he was there for five days and these ribbon cuttings don't take that long. this is an example, just the tip of the iceberg. you don't need to fly people for ribbon cuttings. you don't need to have that kind of thing at a time in which we're borrowing nearly a trillion dollars. but this is part of the problem. the gsa is the best example because they're the ones that are supposed to set the gold standard for saving the government money. very clearly, this is where the new administrator will have to get down and do what wasn't done for the previous three years. >> brian: i understand you're sending out 23 more letters. what else d

new tonight the gsa jeffrey neily was taking family vacations as work tris.e know he enjoyed them. but did he bank roll all of it you are still paying for it. so why hasn't he been fired. congressman joins us. >> good evening. >> apparently you have the question, you have written a letter? >> i served in the earlier capacity, probably the first republican chairman of civil service now headed by transportation and infrastructure that oversees gsa. this is the guy that everybody knows did the wrong thing, refused to testify in our committee. took the fifth amendment in government reform. he is still on the people's payroll and i want him off the payroll. >> greta: the reason he is on is the way the laws is, right? >> but this a senior executive employee. he should be setting an example. not sitting in in a hot tub. civil service was set up to protect lower ranking, entry level and above, but not the senior executive. i want him out of there. if he isn't out of there under lawsuit we have to change the law. >> greta: the current laws, there is nothing you can do

gsa executive jeffrey neily hosted an elaborate conference that cost americans more than $800,000. lawmakers are working to implement practices so that misuse of funds does not occur gen again. >> it is time to send a signal that this kind of public mistrust will not be tolerated. >> one resigned, two aides were fired and others on administrative leave, waiting for disciplinary action. >>> exactly where it wrecked. people of italy want it all cleaned up. >> reporter: the fate of the massive liner is still to be determined. but there is a growing sentiment that the rock which ripped a 160-foot gash in the hole should be turned in. only two are unaccounted for. the environmental disaster, many fear. for the 4,000 people who once traveled on the costa concordia. the trappings of what was once luxury, deck chairs and mattresses and the sea bed. it can't go fast enough, as far as the people of giglio island are concerned. >> you know, it doesn't belong there. it's huge. and it's not part of the scenery. and it's not part of what jigglyo is -- jigglyo -- giglio is famous for. >> others g

. >> reporter: they report jeffly neily that oversaw the federal buildings in california was the big organizers of this party and made four visits to "prep" for the party. >>> the defense secretary leon panetta has a very expensive commute. he has travel on military aircraft to his home more than two dozen times since becoming defense secretary last july. the flights by the way cost the government about $23 -- $32,000 each. he is expected to pay $630 for each round trip flight. he is required to fly on military planes for security reasons. >> this morning hundreds of protestors are expected to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the main gate of the livermore lab. religious and antinuclear groups hold a vigil there every year on good friday. they than demanding the u.s. top holding nuclear disaster weapons. >>> santa monica held a ally to promote a new system for paying for classes. it would charge students more tuition to take more popular classes. they are saying they are seeking advice from the attorney generals office about whether or not the plan is even legal. >>> 5:17. let's

new tonight the gsa jeffrey neily was taking family vacations as work tris.e know he enjoyed them. but did he bank roll all of it you are still paying for it. so why hasn't he been fired. congressman joins us. >> good evening. >> apparently you have the question, you have written a letter? >> i served in the earlier capacity, probably the first republican chairman of civil service now headed by transportation and infrastructure that oversees gsa. this is the guy that everybody knows did the wrong thing, refused to testify in our committee. took the fifth amendment in government reform. he is still on the people's payroll and i want him off the payroll. >> greta: the reason he is on is the way the laws is, right? >> but this a senior executive employee. he should be setting an example. not sitting in in a hot tub. civil service was set up to protect lower ranking, entry level and above, but not the senior executive. i want him out of there. if he isn't out of there under lawsuit we have to change the law. >> greta: the current laws, there is nothing you can do

today she was grilled about the $9,000 bonus that gsa official jeff neily received after the event.e was a freeze on federal pay. >> why were you giving out bonuses when the president said there was a pay freeze? >> the senior executives were entitled to bonuses under our -- were entitled to bonuses. i don't believe the pay freeze affected those bonuses. >> would the gentleman yield for one question? >> as long as it doesn't take my time. >> the gentle lady said i thought it was going to possibly be granted. entitled seems to be a term the gentleman may want to follow-up on. >> i didn't mean entitled. >> i think you did. that's what america gets and federal government doesn't get. there are many people that are patriotic and frugal with their money. when there's this abuse of money and you see someone like you saying they're entitled to it. that's where there's frustration out of our ears. it is totally unacceptable. for the president of the united states say we got a pay freeze in place while you're getting bonuses and going on trips is totally unacceptable. >> republicans in the s

. >> harris: congress holding several hearings on the gsa debacle and jeffrey neily in charge of that conference pleaded the fifth in recent days and refused to answer any questions during his appearance before the senate. now to afghanistan, america' longest war there, ten years and counting, new tonight, u.s. and afghan leaders making a deal. that agreement could redesign our role there for years to come and the latest plan lays out what will happen after the scheduled withdrawal of combat forces in 2014, including what the remaining american troops might do. the money, billions in additional age for afghan's fragile government. and the security analyst, kt mcfarland expressing doubt that the new deal will work and the financial support may not be enough to keep afghanistan from plunging into chaos once our troops come home. >> when we leave afghanistan, are we going to still be talking about tens of billions of dollars? even if we're generous with afghanistan, i think, that tells you, that economy could well start collapsing. >> afghan leaders sag they're optimistic about the agree

the man in charge of the trip, jeff neily, refused to answer questions from the panel.awmakers slammed officials from the gsa for the trip which cost taxpayers almost $1 million in luxurious rooms and gifts for all 300 attendees. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money, that's where there's steam coming out of our ears. >> it's not your money, it's the taxpayers' money. >> the gsa administrator resigned over the scandal. she took responsibility for the incident and apologized to the american people before the hearing. >>> george zimmerman's defense attorney wants the judge in the trayvon martin case to step down. zimmerman's lawyer says judge jessica recositler has a panel conflict. her husband is a cnn analyst. florida law shows a person must just show a reasonable belief that a judge may not be fair to file a motion. >>> roger clemens is accused of lying in a congressional committee in 2008 about using performance enhancing drugs. the first trial ended last july in a mistrial when prosecutors introduced enad minadmissible evidence. jurors questioned whether a r

this may become the iconic image of a scandal, gsa manager, jeffrey neily responsible for hosting that over the top las vegas conference seen in his wife's personal photos taken during one of many taxpayer funded trips to vegas. reporters were chasing him through the halls as a congressional witness this is all he would say. >> mr. chairman on advice of counsel i respectfully decline to answer. >> reporter: he is now on leave but he and other current and former gsa employees had to listen to a barrage of bipartisan anger. >> it is not your money it is the tax payers money. >> reporter: money that went not only to luxury las vegas hotels but gifts for federal workers and entertainment including clowns and a mind reader. now former head of the gsa martha johnson said this has been going on for more than a decade. >> western regions conference and economical training event in the late 1990s had evolved into a raucous extravagant arrogant self-congratulatory event that ultimately belittled federal workers. >> when you see this widespread abuse of money and then you as the former add min st

neily before our committee took the fifth he and his lawyers are anticipating the need to protect themselves from incrimination i think heads had to roll and they did, i think corrective action has to be put in place, i think there has to be more top down management in culture at gsa and full accounting for what happened and why. >>> with regard to secret service alleged misconduct. >> we have already had six folks lose their jobs i think, there are probably going to be more and should be, this action, their action is deplorable, cannot be acceptable, any where, any time, especially for the secret service you are representing the united states overseas and charged with the mission of protecting the head of this government therefore you have to be, cleaner than cesars wife they were not, and correct action has been taken and i think more will be taken >> i would like to, pardon the wild swing while we have you, talk about the postal cuts and your push for at least a 6 day delivery, with oropesa tall service -- with our postal service, it really is a culture generations old we are talking abou

>> that's jeff neily, an acting administrator for the pacific region.vent's red carpet, a make believe red carpet at a government conference. >> i am wearing all armani. i think what i'd like people to take home is to dispense with the notion that what's done in vegas stays in vegas and to really leave with what's done in stray gas needs to be shared with everybody. >> and what is this government employee's talent? >> i have a talent for drinking margaritas. >> how is it that gsa gave you that? >> this is my commitment to our go green initiative. >> dana bash joins us. dana, first of all, why did they do these videos? seems really odd to me. >> it was a talent contest. just like we have here at cnn. no, that was a joke. a big joke. i mean, that speaks to the whole scratch your head question because it's a very good question. why did they do this. it was supposed to be team building, supposed to allow people to lighten up. but obviously the content went too far. never mind the cost to taxpayers. which is mind blowing, the cost to taxpayers. almost a mill

trying to get to the bottom of this and find out what, hopefully under the management and leadership of neilyisyn: thank you for coming in on this subject. democratic strategist comments creating the so-called mommy wars. will the political firestorm go away or could it mean trouble for the president? we'll ask ann coulter, she has thoughts on this coming up. she's a high school softball pitcher with a heck of an arm and had the game of her life and give dave a few pointers. this isn't going to go well for dave. ♪ my name is robin. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, and chantix worked for me. while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantiis proven to help people quit smoking. it reduthe urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking orood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other