A watchdog report alleges the U.S. Defense Department spent about $22 million on lobster, steak and other food items in September 2025 amid a rush to use remaining fiscal-year funds.
An analysis by watchdog group Open the Books claims the United States Department of Defense spent about $22 million on luxury food items including lobster and ribeye steak in September 2025 during an end-of-fiscal-year spending surge. The report said the department issued $93.4 billion in grants and contracts that month, with nearly half spent in the final five business days.
According to the analysis, the Pentagon spent $6.9 million on lobster tail, $15.1 million on ribeye steak, $2 million on Alaskan king crab and $1 million on salmon. Additional purchases reportedly included 272 doughnut orders totaling $139,224 and ice cream machines costing about $124,000.
The group said the spending pattern reflects the federal government’s “use-it-or-lose-it” budget system, which often encourages agencies to exhaust funds before the fiscal year ends. Pete Hegseth previously said efforts were underway to curb wasteful spending, stating, “We need to know when we spend dollars, we need to know where they’re going and why that simple accounting… has not existed at the Defense Department.”
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