The former head of a federal agency that investigates chemical accidents improperly spent more than $90,000 during her tenure, including unauthorized trips to and from her California home, remodeling her Washington office and outside media training for herself, according to a new report by a federal watchdog.
The report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general says Katherine Lemos, the former chair of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, was not entitled to travel expenses worth nearly $50,000 for at least 18 round trips between the capital and her home in San Diego from April 2020 through March 2022, when she changed her official workplace to San Diego.
