Environmental Protection Agency official spent almost $70,000 flying more than 400 miles home EVERY weekend as well as charging  mileage and meals to the taxpayer

• The former senior EPA official was based in their office in San Francisco
• He had a home in Orange County, Southern California, 420 miles away 
• A probe into his travel expenses found he flew home almost every week
• He even charged the EPA mileage and for meals when in Orange County 

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: 08:04 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 09:39 EST, 24 September 2015

An Environmental Protection Agency official working in San Francisco flew home to Orange County southern California almost every weekend over a three-year period at the taxpayer's expense costing almost $70,000. 

The un-named official worked in the EPA's San Francisco office. An audit into travel claims found that 51 out of 88 travel claims made by the official between January 2007 to 2009 were not work related. 

Auditors said the official was flying from the office to his home residence in Southern California more than 400 miles away.  

The former EPA official flew from his office in San Francisco to his home in Orange County every weekend

A probe found that the un-named official charged mileage and for meals when in Orange County, pictured

According to the Office of the Inspector General, reported in the Free Beacon: 'The former Region 9 Administrator made excessive trips to Southern California and claimed ineligible travel costs.He made 88 trips in total from October 2006 through January 2009. For 51 of the 88 trips (58 percent), the former Region 9 Administrator traveled to Orange County/Los Angeles County (OC/LA), California, near the former Region 9 Administrator’s residence, at a cost of approximately $69,000.' 

'Our analysis noted that the former Region 9 Administrator traveled to the OC/LA area almost every weekend. Most of the time, his flight departed from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to John Wayne Airport (JWA), located approximately 11 miles from his Aliso Viejo residence.'

The official also charged mileage when he was at home and charged the EPA for meals. 

The probe questioned whether a junior employee would be able to adequately monitor their superior's travel claims.

According to the EPA's report: 'The Assistant Deputy Regional Administrator, a subordinate of the former Regional Administrator who approved some of his travel, stated that she reviewed the purpose of the trips and believed the trips were necessary.'

The probe found that the former administrator flew from San Francisco on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and generally returned from Orange County on the Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. 

The official flew regularly from his office in San Francisco to his home in Orange County

The investigation found that while staying in his Orange County home, the man claimed for meals, incidental expenses and even mileage for his time his own property.

In addition to the $69,000 spent on flights, the man claimed a further $3,823 in ineligible expenses. 

Following the discovery of the incorrect claims, the EPA has instituted new guidelines to prevent further abuse. 

The report said: 'All official travel requests will be carefully examined by the approving and authorizing officials to assure that: The number of trips, points to be visited, duration of travel are limited to matters that are essential to performance of agency missions and cannot be handled by mail or telephone.'

The EPA said the former administrator's replacement only had to make seven trips to the Orange County / Los Angeles area between 2009 and 2011.  

According to the report: 'When these trips are compared to trips of the subsequent Region 9 acting Administrator and the current Region 9 Administrator, it calls into question whether the frequency of the former Region 9 Administrator’s travel was a reasonable use of government funds.' 

The EPA said they will try to get the former official to reimburse the funds.