Personnel Practices: Details of Schedule C Employees to the White House.

GAO issued three reports from 1987 to 1990 on agencies use of Schedule C appointment authority. The major thrust of the reports was that agencies were using the authority to hire some employees exclusively for details to the White House. In many instances, Schedule C employee appointment dates were the same, or shortly before, the dates the employees were detailed to the White House. In some cases, the details were already at the White House when the Schedule C appointments were made. GAOs position has been and continues to be that this practice is an inappropriate use of Schedule C appointment authority. GAO recommended in 1990 that OPM require agencies to certify in their applications that Schedule C positions are not being established solely or primarily for details. GAO also recommended that OPM disapprove applications that do not contain this certification. OPM disagreed with this recommendation. Given OPMs reluctance to deal with the issue, GAO suggested that legislation would be needed. Legislation was enacted requiring agencies to certify that Schedule C positions were not being created solely or primarily to detail the employee to the White House.