How a No-Show Patent Examiner Got Paid $25,000 While Golfing

Government Executive: For at least 730 hours he logged as work time in fiscal 2014, a patent examiner participating in his agency’s telework program was actually hitting golf balls, playing pool or socializing in restaurants.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office might never have detected his timecard abuse had it not been reported by an anonymous whistleblower, according to report on an investigation by the Commerce Department inspector general. That’s partly because the examiner’s supervisor worked from home most of the time.

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