Amtrak employees allegedly accepted gifts, and are under investigation

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Amtrak

Two Amtrak employees have allegedly accepted gifts from a construction contractor.

Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced that two Amtrak employees are being investigated for allegedly accepting gifts from a construction contractor around the same time that contractor was awarded a $58 million contract from Amtrak.

The gifts allegedly included drinks and a visit to a strip club.

The New York Post sought access to records about the gifts to the Amtrak employees, but their request was denied by Amtrak, with an OIG attorney writing “Any responsive records are currently part of an open and pending criminal investigation.”

The attorney added “Premature release could afford a virtual roadmap through the government’s evidence … which would provide critical insights into its legal thinking and strategy and could jeopardize the proceedings by more fully revealing the scope and nature of the government’s case.”

One of the employees who allegedly received these gifts is a management official, and the other is an inspector. The Amtrak OIG said an unidentified Amtrak inspector and management official were fired in March for accepting gifts from the contractor.

A memo released in March by the OIG said the following:

EMPLOYEES TERMINATED FOR ACCEPTING GIFTS FROM AMTRAK CONTRACTOR

A management official and a company Inspector violated Amtrak policies by accepting gifts and favors from a construction contractor who was awarded a $58 million contract by the company. The management official received gifts from the contractor, including three trips to Philadelphia, and drinks and entertainmentat a gentleman’s club. His employment with the company was terminated on February 1, 2021. The Inspector received gifts from the contractor, which included a furnace for his church, a suit, and a pair of shoes. His employment with the company was terminated on March 30, 2021.

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