Revelation – VA OIG Let VA Manipulate Report Language

VA OIG

Benjamin KrauseYesterday, we reported that VA OIG used manipulative language to limit the scope of fault in its final report about veteran deaths at Phoenix VA. Later in the day, a report leaked that VA OIG allowed VA to manipulate the report language after VA OIG made its conclusions.

What kind of spineless watchdog would allow such a thing? Perhaps, only a watchdog that is more of a lapdog for the same agency that feeds it. Moving forward, VA clearly needs an outside agency to be its watchdog because of the obscene level of deception rooted deeply in the agency for decades.

According to the Washington Examiner:

The single most compelling sentence in the inspector general’s 143-page final report on fraudulent scheduling practices at the Phoenix veterans’ hospital did not appear in the draft version, according to a staff analysis by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

It was inserted into the final version, the only one that was released to the public, after agency officials had a chance to comment and recommend revisions.

Even before the IG’s report on its Phoenix investigation was released Aug. 26, the agency issued a press release touting the bottom-line finding:

“While the case reviews in this report document poor quality of care, we are unable to conclusively assert that the absence of timely quality care caused the deaths of these veterans,” the final IG report stated in two places.

No such language appears in the draft version that was sent by the IG to agency officials for comment.

Richard Griffin, the apparently spineless head of VA OIG, claimed VA did not have final say in the report language, “In all instances, the OIG, and not the VA, dictated the final findings and recommendations.”

Do you believe him?

Only a daft moron would believe Griffin at this point. His credibility is gone after the bobbling and manipulation at play in the criminal investigations into VA employees who contributed to the deaths of so many veterans.

An agency that lacks total integrity must be re-organized with a real watchdog that has real teeth. How do we find one?

Read More: https://m.washingtonexaminer.com/ig-let-veterans-affairs-officials-alter-report-to-absolve-agency-in-phoenix-deaths/article/2553035

 

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10 Comments

  1. Generally I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, very great article.

  2. It is hard to go out and fight the world, then come home and fight those who are supposed to support you. In home work or country. What we are trying to do here is for the young Veterans of the future so they do not have to face such an ingrained despotism that must be thrown off with all the truth and light of common sense.

  3. Having a problem with the VA? Want to retain confidentiality? Do not contact the VAOIG! First they provide no assistance and second I believe they feed the system designed to place Veterans on the “Watch List”. They are not to be trusted.

    Who, within the political confines, that American suffers through today will have the decency and courage to stand up and fight for the rights of Veterans. I cannot think of one person.

    Why oh why as Veterans are we so weak? There are other minority groups that represent an even smaller percentage of the population that have turned our culture and Political Correctness on it’s head. But Veterans are not united in the fight! I do not trust the major Veterans Service Organizations to truly be effective. They are looking for our money to survive.

    How and when will Veterans band together in a cohesive manner that will allow us to take the fight where it belongs – Washington DC in the Congress, Senate, the POTUS and even the hallowed halls of the Veterans Administration itself.

    1. I heartily second your comments. There is and has been flagrant conflicts of interests which Cabinet level departments have used against both internal and external customers. It is time for change.

  4. One question, and only one – why do we still have an Acting VAOIG for almost 6 years and not an appointed IG who has been confirmed by the Senate?

    BTW, Griffin’s background is CIA and Security at State – like he doesn’t know how to lie.

  5. We take the fight to federal court under the RICO Act to obtain civil damages and turn all the evidence and testimony into a criminal indictment of the entire Executive Branch IG program as it must be removed from Executive influences such as political hacks at Justice like Holder who ignore the criminal reporting aspects of the law.

  6. Unfortunately, there is not a single IG office in any Cabinet Department or below that can operate in adequate fashion. They all report not to a higher independent authority, but to the Secretary of the applicable department. So what does anyone really expect? The knowledgeable vet and citizen, should realize that until this changes, nothing will change.

    It begins with the POTUS, and we all know that if his lips move, he’s lying. His Secretaries follow his lead. God help us all.

  7. The VA will never change until it is placed under some type of judicial review, or court order or something similar to that. Veterans aren’t allowed to sue those people. That needs to be changed NOW! When they only have to answer to either themselves or to the members of Congress, they’ll go on getting away with what they’re doing. Have any VA officials ever been forced to swear an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before any Congressional committees yet?! Huh?!

  8. I watched the first hearing (I think it was) and as soon as they showed Richard Griffin’s face I lost every ounce of trust in him. He looked shady and you could tell he was just there to do damage control and is doing it again in this report. Otherwise he would have came out and said the truth. As it has been said that yes, the wait times did not kill the veterans as waiting to see a Dr. most likely will not kill you but having to wait for that long will contribute to an earlier death if something is not fond and can be treated sooner. I think it is such a shame that we (us vets) get treated worse that criminals, welfare and illegals. We are the ones who were willing to die for this country and most of us would do it again in a heartbeat. Then we come back to this, we are and should get the best care that is out there and our own government ( who actually get the best care probably in the world) treats us like we mean nothing. We are throw-aways. That is what we have become. It is do what you can to help them but spend as little as possible to help them. If you need to falsify a document so we (our government) does not have to pay very much than do that, if you have to lie to a veteran, go ahead. Do what ever it takes to make the veteran think you care and are treating them the best way possible and that they are fine. They have nothing wrong that a few meds won’t take care of and send them on their way. Don’t forget to tell them that we will see them in six months so that they might think that they cannot come back any sooner than that.
    I completely agree that we need an outside source to conduct investigations at all of the VA’s in this country. No warning, just show up and for that day nothing gets shredded, thrown away, nothing will be touched until that department has been cleared. They still might get somethings destroyed or hidden in someone’s pocket or something like that but if they are found to have done something like that. Fired right on the spot. Take your stuff and leave. No retirement, no severance pay, nothing but get out now. We need very, very harsh punishment for anyone who is doing anything wrong. We need a set of guidelines that can cover every VA in this country. This is what we go off of, nothing else. This is in black and white and is very clear. and if you mess up, no slap on the hand, you are gone. After a couple of years we will have a top-notch healthcare system that we should have had decades ago. The same goes for the inspectors, you let something slide and you are fired with the same rules as the VA employees. This goes from the new person just hired to the executive that has been there for twenty years. It does not matter. Do it right or get fired. Simple.

  9. I’ve always suspected the VAOIG to be a cover up dog for the administration. I did, however, have a glimmer of hope about the OIG when they first began investigating the VA about these waiting lists. But now that glimmer has been extinguished once again by them. I suspect what Bob McDonald’s true intentions are on this. I’ve suspected him all along.

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