[Claims for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses]

A Department of Energy (DOE) employee appealed a Claims Group decision which denied his claim for travel expenses incurred during numerous temporary duty assignments. The employee argued that: (1) the DOE decision which denied reimbursement for two trips for lack of authorization was incorrect; (2) the DOE retroactive limitation on his meal expenses was improper; (3) a flat rate should have been used in computing per diem for the period that he lived in his trailer, rather than the specific per diem rate; (4) he was entitled to receive mileage expenses incurred while at his temporary duty station to obtain meals; (5) he should have received per diem to cover all travel expenses incident to his voluntary return home on weekends; and (6) the Claims Group did not investigate his claim by comparing his travel vouchers with those of other DOE employees. GAO held that: (1) the employee provided sufficient evidence of authorization for his first trip to a particular site, but failed to do so for the second trip; (2) the DOE meal expenses computation will not be disturbed, because the determination was not shown to be erroneous or arbitrary; (3) DOE was correct in its decision that using a flat rate for computing per diem while the employee lived in the trailer could not be justified; (4) the employee's claim for mileage expenses to obtain meals was not a necessary expense of his travel; (5) travel regulations allow reimbursement to an employee who voluntarily returns home only for those expenses which would have been allowable had the employee remained at the temporary duty station; and (6) claims settlement procedures do not provide for investigations. Accordingly, the Claims Group settlement was sustained in part and reversed in part.