American Taxpayers get hit twice at the World Meteorological Organization

Brett Schaefer / September 21, 2009

As if we needed another example of why the U.N. and its affiliated organizations have earned a reputation for poor accountability, opacity, and mismanagement, along comes a scandal from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO is a U.N. specialized agency based in Geneva. The U.S. is a member of the WMO and gave the organization $1.9 million in 2008 and 2009. The FY 2010 budget request for the WMO is $2.2 million.

A couple of years ago, WMO internal auditor Maria do Rosario Veiga was fired after refusing to discontinue investigations an embezzlement scheme where WMO officials stole $3.5 million and used the money to buy votes to secure the election of Michel Jarraud to be Secretary General of the organization. Despite demands from U.S. Congressmen, no investigation into her dismissal was conducted. (more…)