The Statue of Liberty is supposed to be a symbol of democracy and freedom, but a new inspector general report claims that millions of dollars of taxpayer money are being wasted at the base of the monument.
The National Park Service wrote a $43.9 million contract for security at the Statue of Liberty, but poor oversight led to an “increased risk to public safety and to the safety of the site itself,” according to the report.
Universal Protection Services provides 110 unarmed guards for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but auditors say many of them are violating their contract.
On-site auditors separately noticed two security guards watching sports games on their cell phones when they were supposed to be screening visitors to the Statue of Liberty for firearms and explosives.
