$16 muffins? No, says Hilton

Details found in an audit from the Department of Justice's inspector general found over the course of two years, a staggering $121 million was spent on food and event planning, including $16 muffins and $8 cups of coffee.

WASHINGTON - The government did not pay $16 apiece for breakfast muffins at a Justice Department conference, no matter what the department's inspector general thinks.

So says Hilton Worldwide, which hosted the 2009 legal training conference in Washington. Even the IG's own report issued this week acknowledges that for the price paid, they also got some free fruit and drinks.

Hilton Worldwide, which manages and franchises hotels including the Capital Hilton where the conference took place, says the price included not only breakfast baked goods but also fresh fruit, coffee, tea, soft drinks, tax and tips. It says the report misinterpreted its invoices, which often use shorthand and don't reflect the full menu and service provided.

The IG's report allocates $4,200 for the muffins but also noted 15 gallons of complimentary coffee, 30 gallons of complimentary ice tea and 200 pieces of free fruit included in the overall price of $39,360.

The IG says that the total cost per person at the reception was $14.74 — 2 cents over the allowable Justice Department limit. Totaling up the items in the IG's report, the 534 attendees over five days were given 1,150 pastries, 1,350 pieces of candy and fruit, 1,250 cups of coffee and tea and 250 soft drinks.

$16 muffins? DOJ cited for excessive spending

The IG's audit of excessive spending at 10 Justice Department conferences was one of those news stories that make the public sit up and take notice. Once again, the profligate government was overspending. But it wasn't billions. Or even millions. It was muffins at $16 apiece, according to the IG's office.

The report referenced the $16 muffins half a dozen times and it said their cost was one of many food items that "appeared extravagant and potentially wasteful."

Not so, Hilton Worldwide said in a statement Thursday.

"In Washington, the contracted breakfast included fresh fruit, coffee, juice, muffins, tax and gratuity, for an inclusive price of $16 per person," Hilton Worldwide said in a statement.

"Dining receipts are often abbreviated and do not reflect the full pre-contracted menu and service provided, as is the case with recent media reports of breakfast items approved for some government meetings," Hilton Worldwide's statement added.

On Thursday night, IG spokesman Jay Lerner said that "we stand by our report."

In its report, the IG's office said the cost of the muffins was one of many food items that "appeared extravagant and potentially wasteful."

"Many individual food and beverage items listed on conference invoices and paid by the" Executive Office for Immigration Review for a legal training conference "were very costly," said the IG report. "The EOIR spent $4,200 on 250 muffins and $2,880 on 300 cookies and brownies. By itemizing these costs, we determined that, with service and gratuity, muffins cost over $16 each and cookies and brownies cost almost $10 each."

[scottiemac52]

$16 for breakfast, especially in DC, is not out of line. Yes, you may be able to do it cheaper at home but you're not hosting hundreds of people a day, have hotel overhead, paying cooks and waitstaff, etc. Perhaps in future if something looks "off" on an invoice, the accountants will pick up a phone and call for clarification before there are red-faces all around.

[hsinco-2009]

In 1993, I was paying $7 for a cup of coffee in NYC when I traveled there for work.

[mask2697]

@hsinco, that was probably better quality coffee then being mentioned here if correct

[RealiteBites]

The profit margin for the hotel was probably astronomical. Whoever booked the event, maybe they should have shopped around to try to find a venue that would allow them to bring in catered food form outside. Hotels always have crazy mark-up like that ...

[logonmco]

Please tell me about the last restaurant or movie theater that allowed you to bring in your own food.

[stn_sage]

Since no one here has stated the obvious, let me be the first!
This article is about D-I-S-H-O-N-E-S-T-Y!
Whether it is Justice Department lawyers, or, the inspector general of the same department, someone is lying about charges and/or filing false claims in order to rip the taxpayers of America off!!
And, when politicians, lawyers, judges, political appointees can't
be trusted to be HONEST and do their jobs, then, the result is what we have now...a declining America, with little or no chance
of recovery!

[mask2697]

You do realize that you immediatly go to lying and fraud which isn't true, ti was just miswritten,

[logonmco]

What was dishonest? The records were clearly available, the cost was two cents over the set limit. The only thing to be outraged about is the lack of responsibility and clarity from Inspector Generals office. The persons that released the story should have their accounting credentials reviewed. It was a diservice to the public servants that work to make a better United States

[Jaylah54]

I can serve a muffin, a piece of fresh fruit, a cup of coffee and a glass of juice for a damned sight less than $16 each.

I still say I should go into the government-meeting catering business.

[Dr_Pangloss]

In Washington probably not. Everything's higher than a cat's back there.

[obicera1]

Prove it. I had a salmon dinner out the other night. The entree was $17.95. I know I could provide the food I got "for a damned sight less" than that. But I got the food prepared and delivered by someone in a nice place along with bread. The owners have to pay to run the place and ideally should make some money doing it. So maybe when you really consider all the costs involved $16 per person is not out of line.

[RogerInHawaii]

So the IG spokesman Jay Lerner said that "we stand by our report" even after being presented with clear evidence that there were in fact no $16 muffins and that it was actually a $16 charge PER PERSON for the food and drinks, which was nearly exactly equal to the standards set by the Justice Department. It seems to me that there should be an inquiry into the effectiveness of Mr. Lerner and what he's being paid to provide such shoddy work.

[hsinco-2009]

I guess you could say they were charged $16 for fruit just as easily.

While I don't condone waste of money or food, this seems a bit over the top!

[thoughtxchange2]

You would have thought someone would have asked the hotel to confirm the charge before making this national news. Someone is looking very very stupid right now.

[askagain]

One of the first things President Obama reamed-out corporations was for their spending on conferences and sales meetings. When he did that, Hotels everywhere took a huge hit on business. The mayor of Las Vegas was livid because this "cooling effect" hit Las Vegas so hard. Now we see President Obama's Justice Department spending huge amounts of money for their meetings/conferences. Guess who foots the bill fellow taxpayers. And we didn't even get to taste those $16 muffins and $10 brownies.

[RogerInHawaii]

Clearly this fellow didn't read the article.

[askagain]

I read the article. The first line of my post should have read "One of the first things President Obama did after becoming president was to ream-out corporations for spending on conferences and sales meetings..." Now we see the Justice Department spending large amounts of money for their conferences and meetings. Our deficit is growing at an alarming rate. Perhaps government needs to go on an austerity program rather than spending money it doesn't have.

[AnnieDanny]

That's a reasonable price for buffet breakfast/break at any convention. I don't think you can get it for much less than that.