Uncle Sam Buys $5 Meatballs

The Justice Department shells out $5 per meatball and nearly as much for a can of soda when it invites folks for lunch, an audit says. And don't forget the cookies: Justice ran up a $13,000 tab on those at 10 recent conferences. The audit says no laws were broken but it urges Justice to get a better handle on its menus, CNN reports.

A Senate panel requested the audit to figure out why Justice spends so much money on conferences—$46 million last year alone. Pricey food was just one reason, but a big one. At one 2006 conference, the average cost per attendee for food and beverage was $83, which is $19 over the federal per diem rate in D.C. (More Justice Department stories.)