Inspector General

20151113-034269 18
MG Lewis’ description of the establishment he patronized was consistent with the U.S.
Forces Korea policy letter’s description of juicy bars as establishments where female employees
encourage Service members to buy overpriced “juice” drinks in exchange for their
companionship. When we asked him why he used his GTCC, MG Lewis replied, “I don’t know
in this particular case.” Although MG Lewis claimed he went to several establishments in
Itaewon where he used South Korean won, the only charge from an Itaewon establishment to
MG Lewis’ GTCC was from the Candy Bar club.
Official statements regarding GTCC use in Itaewon, Seoul
After MG Lewis’ return from the April 2015 Korea trip, an Office of the Secretary of
Defense staff member began processing MG Lewis’ travel voucher. She reviewed MG Lewis’
GTCC online account and noticed charges at an establishment named “Candy.” She told us that
she asked herself “[w]hat is that?” She then asked another staff member about the charges. The
other staff member recommended that she ask MG Lewis about the charges.
The first staff member stated that after highlighting the “Candy” charges on MG Lewis’
GTCC statement, she showed MG Lewis the statement and asked him, “Sir, did you use your
card for anything in Korea, you know, besides lodging?” She told us that MG Lewis replied,
“No.” She added that “[w]hen a three star says ‘No,’ I mean, that’s it then.” The first staff
member told MG Lewis that she suspected the GTCC was compromised and that she would
figure out the process to get MG Lewis a new GTCC. She told us that MG Lewis replied to the
effect of, “take care of it.”
The other staff member overheard this exchange between MG Lewis and the first staff
member processing the travel voucher. The other staff member stated:
[S]he [the first staff member] always wanted me to shadow her just
to make sure that she was doing everything properly and making
sure she wasn’t making any mistakes with that stuff…. I was right
outside [MG Lewis’ office] door but I can see them and hear them,
everything. I believe she just asked, she said, “Sir, I have your
travel claim almost completed. There’s just a few pending charges
that I’m just wondering about just to clarify. And if they’re not
yours then apparently it got hacked into or whatnot.” And he goes,
“Okay, what is it?” And she goes, “There’s a claim from
‘Candy.’” She’s like, “I don’t know what it is.” He’s like, “That’s
not mine.” And she said, “Okay.” And she was like, “Well, that’s
really it, sir.” She was like, “If that’s not it I’m going to call
Citibank and figure out the next steps to clear it out of your record
so you don’t have a balance on there.”
An officer working in the Office of the Secretary’s front office told us that she discussed
the “Candy” charge with MG Lewis after the first staff member brought it to her attention. She
decided to help the first staff member resolve this matter: