Federal “transparency” website shows state receiving millions in federal stimulus dollars for non-existent Congressional districts.

By Clint Brewer

Tennessee received more than $54 million in federal stimulus dollars, but in the process apparently added seven new U.S. House seats.

According to figures published on the U.S. government’s Recovery.gov web site, the Volunteer State received awards for over $3.7 billion in federal stimulus money, of which some $340 million has been awarded. The site claims that money has saved or created over 9,548 jobs in Tennessee.

Yet, Recovery.gov also shows $54,119,336 in federal stimulus funds being spent to save or create only 28 jobs in seven Congressional districts that do not exist.

If the government’s math is correct, that would be an average of $1.9 million per job in the phantom Congressional districts and almost $400,000 per job statewide according to the state’s total take from the federal stimulus program.

According to the web site, funds were distributed to the 00th, 29th, 47th, 13th, 32nd, 14th and 11th Congressional districts, none of which exist in Tennessee. The state has only nine Congressional districts and U.S. House seats.

News of the flawed data and non-existent Congressional districts broke Monday when a New Mexico watchdog site reported phantom Congressional districts in their state’s Recovery.gov data.

White House officials with the Obama Administration have responded to national criticism of the data on Recovery.gov, saying that recipients of the stimulus grants have been simply keying in incorrect Congressional district numbers.

“The Administration has been criticized for pointing out to the independent Recovery Board some erroneous reports that should not have been posted – and for failing to find all the erroneous reports,” said G. Edward DeSeve, speecial advisor toPresident Barack Obama in a statement posted to the White House web site. “Skeptics have raised doubts about reports that show jobs created with no funds spent (although that is possible, as workers are hired in anticipation of projects starting), or funds spent with no jobs created (when materials are purchased for projects that are not yet underway). Some filers, working with the new system, punched in the wrong Congressional district, and some just got the data wrong.  And about 10% of those folks who were supposed to file a report haven’t filed it yet.”