The managers of the Department of Veterans Affairs technology office awarded $24 million in bonuses to thousands of employees in 2007 and 2008--awards that the agency Inspector General said were "not fiscally responsible," according to a new report.

The IG's report said four high-level employees received about $60,000, $73,000, $58,000, and $59,000, respectively, without sufficient justification.

"The frequent and large dollar amount awards given to employees were unusual and often absurd," the report stated. The Inspector General report said one senior manager, Jennifer S. Duncan, "acted as if she was given a blank checkbook to write unlimited monetary awards."

The IG issued two separate critical reports on the technology office. In addition to detailing the bonus money, the reports alleged widespread nepotism, abuse of authority and improper hiring under a former VA assistant secretary and CIO, Robert Howard. In particular, the investigators said Howard had "an inappropriate relationship" with one of his subordinates, Katherine Adair Martinez, the VA's deputy assistant secretary for information protection and risk management.

The IG said Martinez abused her authority to help a friend get a job. It also said she was able to transfer her own job to Florida, even though she spent 60 percent of her time in Washington and billed the government for the lengthy commuting.

For more on the VA's tech office abuses:
- see this CNN article
- also see this InformationWeek article