The Washington Post, home of the pro-TSO "Federal Diary" columnist, has finally posted an undated article about this topic:
The Washington Post:
Homeland Security workers routinely boost pay with unearned overtime, report says
Undated piece by Emily Wax-Thibodeaux
A short quote:
Federal employees at the Department of Homeland Security call it the “candy bowl,” a pot of overtime money they have long dipped into to pad their pay even if they haven’t earned it, whistleblowers say.
This practice, which can add up to 25 percent to a paycheck, has become so routine over the last generation that it’s often held out as a perk when government managers try to recruit new employees, according to these accounts.
and
“These are not border patrol guys chasing bad guys who can’t stop what they are doing and fill out paperwork for overtime. We are not questioning that,” [special counsel at the OSC Carolyn Lerner] said. “These are employees sitting at their desks, collecting overtime because it’s become a culturally acceptable practice.”