[Reconsideration of Claim for Payment of Relocation Expenses]

The General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) requested reconsideration of a prior decision which denied reimbursement for travel and relocation expenses to the chairman of the NCUA Board. A series of arguments were raised to show that the chairman should not be required to reimburse NCUA for those expenses which it had previously paid. GAO determined that: (1) at the time of the chairman's appointment, there was no authority for payment of relocation expenses to Presidential appointees; (2) because the NCUA operating fund is an appropriated fund, it is subject to statutory restrictions on its use; (3) because the chairman is an employee of NCUA, not the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF), the chairman's expenses may not be reimbursed by CLF; and (4) erroneous advice regarding reimbursement for relocation expenses was given to the chairman by NCUA officials. Accordingly, the prior decision was affirmed, and the chairman must reimburse NCUA for the expenses.