Indian Museum Director Spent Lavishly on Travel

Video

Smithsonian Funds Expensive Retirement Video

» LAUNCH VIDEO PLAYER

Beginning in October, the Smithsonian rescinded the unlimited-leave policy and then provided the managers accumulated leave. West got 23 days of leave, which he is taking this month.

In 2005, West attended the ICOM meeting in Vienna, and then went to Paris for an unspecified purpose. One trip, costing more than $16,000, was a 2006 journey to Rome, Paris and Palo Alto for "AAM/ICOM/Stanford."

The Cost of Farewell

Late this year, a series of Smithsonian-sponsored farewell events were held to honor West, including staff lunches in Washington and New York, cocktail receptions in Washington and Los Angeles and a gala dinner at the Indian Museum in September on the third anniversary of its opening. The total cost: $124,000, according to figures provided by the Smithsonian. St. Thomas said about $50,000 was raised to defray those costs.

"It is totally appropriate to thank somebody for public service," said Roger Sant, chairman of the Smithsonian regents' executive committee, adding that he was unaware of how the dinner was funded. "We are trying to watch our expenditures."

The costs raised some qualms inside the Smithsonian, according to sources and e-mails, including those between West and his assistant, Alena Chalan. One of those concerned was Angela Leipold, the museum's assistant director for external affairs.

"Angela is worried about perceptions, given recent SI events," Chalan wrote in an e-mail to West. Leipold recommended West use institution "trust funds," rather than the institution's federally appropriated funds, to avoid causing embarrassment. The trust funds consist of the institution's privately raised money. Smithsonian rules permit the funds to be used with less restrictions. But the independent review committee issued a report that criticized the use of trust funds for lavish parties and travel.

Smithsonian policy permits use of trust funds for farewell parties but "approval must be requested by the director of the organization through the under secretary/dir to the Executive Assistant to the Secretary," according to an e-mail sent from Burke's office to Leipold. All of these events were approved by officials at Smithsonian headquarters.

For West's gala dinner, the trust funds paid for the $37,000 catering bill, which included medallions of prime beef tenderloin seasoned with habanero chiles, and quail glazed with wild plum jam. Federally appropriated funds, however, were used to pay $30,585 for an eight-minute DVD biography of West, which was shown during the dinner and presented to him as a going-away present.

Chalan was apologetic in the e-mail to West and noted that Leipold was only trying to protect West from embarrassment: "Please note, that she is only trying to keep your life Washington Post free for your last two months. *smile*"