What is abuse?

• A. Intentional wrongful or improper use of government resources
• B. Unintentional waste of government resources
• C. Unauthorized disclosure of classified information
• D. Misuse of personal resources for government tasks

Answer: (A)

Abuse means intentionally misusing government resources for improper purposes. The key is that the action is deliberate and improper, done for personal gain or outside official duties. This differs from waste, which is typically inefficient or careless use that isn’t necessarily intentional wrongdoing. It also isn’t the same as unauthorized disclosure of classified information, which is a security breach involving information, not how resources are used. And using personal resources for government tasks isn’t about government resources being misused, since the resources involved aren’t government assets. Examples include using a government vehicle for personal trips or charging personal expenses to a government credit card.