I remember when I first found out about some of the expenses for lunch and dinner at a company I used to work at, I couldn't believe it was true. Then I was working on a contract with a company where they sent us to a client in another city. I'm over here wondering where the nearest Subway or Chinese restaurant was and my manager is talking about where to get a good steak. Dude comes back racking up $75-$100 dinners because he's ordering ribeyes from steak restaurants, and I'm living off $5 footlongs (or whatever they cost back then) trying not to seem like I'm trying to send the company under. lol. He's saying things like "may as well live it up while they're paying for it". Give people an inch, they take a foot as the saying goes.
It's one thing to get fired, but be quiet about it. His lawsuit put his name in news. His next employer can see it easily in the background check. He's a financial crime expert who lied about his daily comps. A bit of irony there.
A colleague of mine when he travels will hang out at the bar, rack up our $75.00 daily limit per diem turn that in for food and then go to Burger King and pay for his own grub, I always thought it was shady but I wouldn't want the dude fired for it. And for the guy who got fired in the article, don't buy 2 of anything, but one BIG entree and share.
Not that the firing was unjust, but that manager is a little b**** for pushing back on the dude's per diem.
I'm not @HR Dept, but I am in HR. Lying during a company investigation is an easy way to go from getting your hand slapped to being terminated.