Sorry Feds: Lawmaker Says No More Porn Watching at Work

Civil service reform may not be the sexiest issue, but Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., has certainly found the sexiest component of it.

Meadows has introduced a bill to “prohibit the access of a pornographic or other explicit website from a federal computer.” The lawmaker was prompted to propose the ban after an Environmental Protection Agency employee was found to have spent an average of two-to-six hours per day watching pornography at work.

That was in May. Four months later, the employee -- who also stored more than 7,000 pornographic files on an agency server -- has not been fired, according to Greenwire. EPA has placed the chronic porn watcher -- who confessed to his habit after an inspector general office investigator walked in on the employee “actively viewing porn on his government-issue computer” -- on administrative leave, meaning he is not working but still receiving his paycheck.

“Allowing federal employees to access pornographic materials in the workplace creates an unprofessional and potentially hostile work environment for fellow workers,” Meadows said. “This bill is a common-sense measure that ensures federal workers aren’t viewing pornographic materials on the taxpayers’ dime.”

The bill would require the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidelines to prohibit porn watching on federal devices. Meadows proposed one exception: the ban would not apply to federal computers “used for an investigative purpose that requires accessing a pornographic website.”

The congressman was baffled his legislation was necessary.

“It’s appalling that it requires an act of Congress to ensure that federal agencies block access to these sites at work,” Meadows said.

As for the aforementioned EPA employee, the agency’s IG, in conjunction with the Justice Department, is still investigating. No word on whether the investigators have taken advantage of Meadows’ exception.

(Image via Patryk Kosmider/Shutterstock.com)