A federal watchdog is investigating whether the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under chief Anne Milgram improperly awarded millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to hire past associates, people familiar with the probe told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the spending under scrutiny by the Justice Department\u2019s Office of Inspector General is $4.7 million for \u201cstrategic planning and communication\u201d and other contracts that were used to hire people Milgram knew from her days as New Jersey\u2019s attorney general and as a New York University law professor \u2013 at costs far exceeding pay for government officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least a dozen people have been hired under such contracts, including some in Milgram\u2019s inner circle handling intelligence, data analytics, community outreach and public relations \u2014 work often requiring security clearances and traditionally done by DEA\u2019s own 9,000-person workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\t