A former senior General Services Administration (GSA) official lied to get her husband jobs with the government and contractors, the couple admitted in federal court Thursday.
Helen Renee Ballard and Robert Steve Ballard pleaded guilty to a nepotism scheme, GSA’s Inspector General (IG) announced.
The Brandywine, Md., couple used “false and misleading statements concerning Steve Ballard’s relation, education and qualifications” to get him jobs with the federal government and contractors, according to the IG. “Later, Renee Ballard attempted to hire Steve Ballard for a position within GSA under her supervision.” (RELATED: IT Company Facing False Claims Allegations Pays $45 Million)
These false statements led a federal contractor to hire Steve Ballard, which then had him work on a GSA contract supervised by his wife. The Ballards also sent Steve Ballard’s resume to the White House for employment.
He sent his resume to at least six federal contractors. (RELATED: Feds Wasting Millions On Non-Competitive IT Contracts)
Additionally, “Renee and Steve Ballard caused over 139 false employment applications to be submitted to federal agencies, including the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. State Department, U.S. Transportation and Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Internal Revenue Service,” the IG wrote.
The Ballards will be sentenced July 28 and each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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