[Eddy_Viscosity2]

> How do you know it’s risk-free?

Because you can't convict someone for embezzlement if you can't prove it. And you can't prove it if there are no records. This is the purpose of proper financial record-keeping standards - to know where the money is and where it came from and where it goes.

[MichaelZuo]

Why can’t one faction in the pentagon do something, other than trying to get a conviction, that still induces risks on another faction?

[Eddy_Viscosity2]

Like what?

I'm not sure what that could be, but a general answer would be that neither faction wants too much scrutiny. They would therefore have mutual self-interest in maintaining a system where they can keep crappy records (or none) while still keeping mountains of money.

[MichaelZuo]

Influencing relative promotion prospects?

[Eddy_Viscosity2]

I mean maybe. They probably are doing everything they can do maximize their own budgets, but not so hard that they might expose themselves to more oversight or regulation which means the no real change to how the system operates.