Topline: The federal government built 33 new courthouses between 2000 and 2010, but poor planning and incorrect estimates led the buildings to collectively be 3.6 million square feet larger than Congress authorized — the equivalent of building nine extra courthouses. The bonus construction cost $835 million, or $1.
2 billion in today’s money. That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S.
Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses .
Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr.
No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports. Coburn's Wastebook 2010 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $11.
5 billion, including the General Service Administration’s roomy courthouses. Key facts: Some of the poor planning came because officials estimated the courthouses would be used by 461 judges. Only 342 judges were actually needed, but no one realized until the extra rooms had already been built.
There were also 126 rooms that could have been shared by two or more judges, but that was not factored into the design, according to the Government Accountability Office . The extra space cost $51 million per year to rent and maintain. The GAO did not specify which courthouses were too large, so it’s unclear if the expense is still being pai.
