Who would like to sell their muffins for £10? Well, if you supply the White House that is how much you could charge.

A new report by the US Justice Department has discovered the centre of power has been paying $16 for the tasty treat. What’s more, it has also been paying a whopping $10 per cookie.

Critics have voiced outrage at the spending shown in the internal audit, including $8 coffees and $32-per-person snacks. The US owes more than $14tn and has an annual budget deficit topping $1.4tn. The shock report found that the Justice Department had spent $4,200 on 250 muffins at an August 2009 legal conference at a hotel near the White House.