State travel ban ignored ... again

Gov. Ed Rendell imposed a hiring freeze last fall to help deal with the state's massive budget deficit. The ban has been violated at least 100 times, including by Rendell himself.

Rendell also imposed a ban on out-of-state travel. That's been violated too.

The latest example of government workers taking expensive trips was uncovered by a Pittsburgh television station.

From the station's Web site:

A Team 4 investigation finds pension fund employees staying at five-star resorts in London, Paris and even Monte Carlo -- and the way they're paying for these trips is raising concern with top state officials.

Earlier this year, Team 4's Paul Van Osdol found state employees spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on trips after Gov. Ed Rendell ordered a travel ban.

Officials of the two big state pension funds say they've been able to get around the travel ban because taxpayers are not paying for most of their trips. Instead, the investment managers hired by the state are covering the cost.

Here's the catch: The state employees traveling to these exotic places are the same people whose job it is to keep an eye on the money managers paying for the trips.

Read the full story, "Team 4 Investigates: Pa. Pension Workers Taking Lavish Trips," or watch the actuall report at the station's Web site.

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS