DAV Awardee Thomas Murphy Agent Orange Denier

Thomas Murphy, VBA Change Deckchairs On Titanic, Again

Agent Orange Denier

I just received a copy of a forwarded email from his “Kahnship”, Thomas Murphy, announcing various promotions within the Veterans Benefits Administration (he’s the Genghis Kahn of white collar VA).

Murphy was recently named the new feudal overlord of benefits as Under Secretary following the removal of Danny Pummill. Contrary to current calls for Murphy to get sacked, he is instead buttressing the walls of his fortress.

“What is Pummill up to?” you may be asking. Well, his LinkedIn account says he is transitioning to the civilian sector. Last fall, he was linked to a potential fraud scheme that involved two other executives within Veterans Benefits that resulted in Allison Hickey stepping down.

Anyway, Murphy sent out this blast late Friday afternoon, likely hoping no one would notice. We did, and here is the list of Murphy’s new merry henchmen.

UNDER SECRETARY THOMAS MURPHY EMAIL

VBA Team,

I want to update you on the personnel changes in our senior leadership ranks. As I previously mentioned, each assignment was considered thoughtfully and with the goal to further enhance benefits delivery to better support the Department’s MyVA goals.

Jamie Manker now serves as the Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary, second in command at VBA. Prior to this position, he served as Chief Financial Officer where he led financial management professionals in maximizing VBA’s $3.1 billion budget and distributed $96 billion in direct benefits in FY15. While Jamie is an Air Force Veteran, VBA represents his life’s work…and he will invest his utmost in leading our 20,000 employees in delivering benefits and services to our Veterans and their families.

Mike Frueh now serves as VBA Chief of Staff. Prior to his appointment, Mike was Director of Loan Guaranty Service and was responsible for managing the nationwide $500 billion Veteran home loan program. Mike has 25 years of experience in planning, organizational management and leadership, not to mention he’s extremely personable – all skills I believe necessary to manage a large staff. 

Rob Reynolds now serves as Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance (20P). Rob was previously Director of Benefits Assistance Service and managed VBA’s Direct Services and Client Outreach. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Management Officer for 20P. Rob first joined VA in the Loan Guaranty Program after employment with the Department of Defense where he was the Congressional Liaison for Headquarters Marine Corps after serving in the US Army. His experience providing oversight of policy, planning and implementation make him a natural fit for this post.

Beth Murphy now serves as the VBA Director of Compensation Service. Beth is responsible for developing rulemaking and policy requirements, procedures, and training for administration of VBA’s compensation benefit programs. She is also responsible for assessing accuracy and providing oversight of administration of those programs. She joined VBA 22 years ago as a Rating Specialist and has held a variety of positions in the field and at headquarters. Beth previously served as VBA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations, and her breadth of knowledge of VBA operations will be an asset to Compensation Service in achieving mission requirements. Willie Clark will serve as Acting Deputy Under Secretary in OFO.

Cheryl Rawls now serves as Director of Pension and Fiduciary Service and will oversee policy, training and implementation of related programs. Cheryl most recently served as Director of the Winston-Salem Regional Office, but she began her VA career over 20 years ago as a work-study employee. Cheryl’s willingness to serve wherever needed is indicative of her commitment to VA’s Core Values and I am glad to have to have her back working in her hometown of Washington, DC.

Dave McLenachen is now Director of the Appeals Management Center (AMC) where he is responsible for the processing of appeals remanded to VBA by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Prior to his appointment, Dave was Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance and had oversight of VBA’s Compensation, Pension and Fiduciary, Insurance, and Benefits Assistance business lines, and led the appeals modernization effort for VBA. As AMC Director, he will continue to support the Secretary’s MyVA Appeals Breakthrough Initiative and focus on VBA appeals policy and operations, with the goal of providing Veterans a modern appeal process.

Mark Bilosz now serves in the role of Director of the Winston-Salem Regional Office. Mark oversees the administration of benefits to Veterans and their families living in North Carolina. Mark previously served as Deputy Director of Operations for Compensation Service and began his VA career nearly 30 years ago as a file clerk at the Newington VAMC. Since he has risen through the ranks, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge, I am confident he will continue to serve North Carolina Veterans and their families with excellence.

Danny Devine is now Compensation Service’s Deputy Director of Policy & Procedures. Danny will oversee the development and implementation of policies, procedures, training and quality related to disability and death compensation programs. Danny previously served as Director in VHA’s Office of Disability and Medical Assessment where he managed C&P and disability programs, working closely with VBA. Danny joined VA in 2002 as Special Assistant in Congressional Affairs, and has had leadership roles in OCLA, Office of Public Affairs, as well as the offices of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and I am glad to have him here in VBA. 

I look forward to working with each of these leaders to cement VA as the excellent, Veteran-centered organization our Veterans and their families deserve.

Thank you,

Thomas J. Murphy

Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits

Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Benefits

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61 Comments

  1. Cheryl Rawls was an excellent RO Director! I met her once at a claims clinic and she gave us her card and anytime I emailed her she put her top folks on it and got it handled and errors corrected. Not sure about the others but she should be over benefits!

  2. Add 1000’s of wikileaks emails released to crushed ice (Hillary), shake *and* stir, and you have Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, DNC Chair announcing she will NOT be presiding over the DemoCRAP convention. More to come. Pop lots of popcorn, as this will be entertaining at best. 🙂

  3. Last night the wife and I decided to see the ‘movie/documentary’,

    “Hillary’s America”!

    It concerns the history of the ” Democratic Party”!
    After watching an ad. I decided I would investigate a little further. What I found is/was disturbing!
    Here’s two articles. There’s more, all one has to do is look.

    1.)
    “A Short History of Democrats, Republicans, and Racism”

    “https://russp.us/RACISM.htm”
    (remove the quotation marks)

    This article says it contains “…a few basic historical facts every American should know!” – I agree 100%!

    2.)
    From “WND FRONT PAGE”
    “WND EXCLUSIVE”

    “Hillary’s ‘Stronger Together’ Theme A Joke, Says ‘Snapping’ Author”

    published about 12 – 14 hours ago.

    After y’all have read both articles, do you see a connection? Do you see similarities? Are there any absolute differences?
    It’s all there.

    America, Radical Democrats in particular, has/have, in reality, made the ‘transformation’ from owning “Slaves” outright, (prior to our Civil War). To hiding the “Enslavement – Of the People” as discreet as possible! And they’ve been VERY successful since their inception!
    One article I read, the author spoke about LBJ, Lyndon B. Johnson, (Democrat). Who was caught (on recording for “…all of posterity”) saying, Quote: “I’ll get those n****rs to vote Democrat for the next 200 years!” Unquote!
    Don’t believe me, look it up!

    Now, why have I brought this to light?
    Because, in my opinion, we – veterans all – have been “enslaved by the VA”!
    If we “raise a ruckus”, could our benefits be affected? If veterans, who work at VA, be ostracized or be held contemptuous?
    That answer is simple. Some of us have seen it. Many have lived it.
    I bet IF one were to investigate the VA, VSO’s and other government agencies, I wonder how many are run by Democrats!?
    How many would be left stranded and broke IF “True Conservative Patriotic Republicans” actually were holding these ‘so-called non-profits’, “our elected and appointed officials of Congress” and “The Office of POTUS” to the “Law(s) of the Land” – ie: “The Constitution of the United States of America!”

    Our “Forefathers” warned all future generations of this! Are we going to heed their advice? Or, will we capitulate to the Democrat’s will?

    We on here have never spoke a word on what would transpire IF the Democratic Party were to be dismantled. Thrown in the dung heep where it belongs.

    I leave the conclusions up to y’all.

    “PEACE and may GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

    1. I have zero doubt this sudden shift of people is a simple play that will maximize their contractual arrangements with the govt. We cannot know this, but it seems certain that retirement formulas for government workers defy even RAND ability to scale the data to fit any sort of logical sense. My hunch is that this shift of people is with the intent of placing them into positions to maximize their exit returns.

      I am not sure who coined the phrase “follow the money” but the noble list of gentry above is filled with people who clearly have demonstrated dishonest cunning in their careers and have achieved remarkable earnings in a career that would land a non govt employee in prison. They havent stopped being what they are just because so e light of day is,shined on them lolz.They didnt’t go up in the big ol VA airplane without a parachute, and a reserve chute in case the main one doesn’t work.

      We are seeing parachutes being deployed, and it is in plain sight. That is where the Devil hides. Follow the money, or the invisible stock options, or the annuities, or the Life Insurance policy with a 100% redeem value, or however else they hide it and the logic of what is happening will be crystal clear.

      1. Want to really shake em up? Do doctors pay taxes? Yes. If a doctor is compensated in any form for services rendered, they are taxes. If I give a car to a doc, a house, or pay their rent for them, they are taxed on reasonable value, right? It is fair I am told. I bet that if I paid for their medical malpractice insurance, it would be taxed too.

        We ask the new guy elected to do this; Mr. President, please ensure that all VA personell that enjoy the benefit of being “insured” against all wrongdoing, commonly known in all industry as malpractice insurance, are fairly taxed for the true value of that benefit as are all Americans in all walks of life.

        Liability insurance that is afforded by any other name is still liability insurance and is compensation. Veterans may not get America onboard through the plight we suffer, but convince America that the individuals are not paying their fair share and it would knock the wind out of VA sails. If they are indeed immune from justice, then isn’t that simply compensation and if so compensated what do you suggest the tax rate be?

        How much is immunity from prosecution worth? Lets ask RAND, then lets ask the IRS to contact AFGE about VA to tell them the bad NEWS. Lets keep it to just four letters and under and introduce VA to Mr. TAX.

  4. Mark Twain popularized an old saying that “…there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics”.

    RAND Corp. concurs with all -3- and a super-secret-handshake lie that regurgitates all the past lies into new ones, #4.

    The fact all these new hires on the V.A. Titanic were “announced/released” late on a Friday, is in hopes the weekend buried any question of them.

    Would it not make sense for McDonald and the VA as a whole in light of scandal after scandal, ream after reamed, that the VA would want to make some sort of public spectacle of showing just what great changes they are making in shuffling the deck chairs…all for our Vets?!!

    The truth IS truly ‘out there’!

    Where’s McDonald again?

    1. I think McDuck, Shulkin and Gibson are trying to figure out how to get more of the taxpayers money into dirty big boy’s pants pockets!
      I see one, or all three, getting in front of the committee within the next 30 to 60 days. To do exactly what they did last year! “Hold our legal healthcare hostage for more money!”

      We really haven’t heard much from them lately. I am curious about, “Where are these three corrupt basturds?”

      1. Except this time I will wager they will hold the very TBI Re-examinations and entire process hostage…you know, that would amount to a LOT of authorized travel pay if these specialists are nowhere near Veterans. Then the VA will just hand the Vets paper schematics of a catapult with the GPS coordinates of their re-exam so they can create their journey, while the VA spends the $ on a new VAMC with moving walls this time rather than color-changing walls. A large Rubik’s Cube, if you will…just because they can. 🙂 Oh, cannot forget about non-performance bonuses. 🙂

        Off Topic: I absolutely loathe HOT weather, but especially humidity of any sorts…remember to hydrate.

  5. Rob Reynolds ran Benefits Assistance Sevice as a dictator. He had individuals doing his personal business on the job. He had numerous EEOs filed against him. He went on a Europe vacation; whoops I mean an all expense VA paid business trip. Wifey went too. Here we go again. Another round of crooks at the round table. Robert McDonald needs to step down. He is useless.

    1. The target of the day IG investigation I mention in my comment on Danny Devine was a Ms Harttman. She also liked to take taxpayer funded trips. On one, she went on a sailing cruise, then claimed to the IG it was a business trip because she was looking at “adaptive technology” for disabled vets for the ship.
      Funny. I have never heard announced any veterans going on sailing cruises on a sailing ship after a company refitted their ship with adaptive technology.
      She also claimed the golf outing she went on was business as well, supposedly to benefit veterans, as was her trip to Hoover Dam.
      That was the investigation Devine interfered with, lied about, and caused evidence to be destroyed.

    2. We would like to think it’s just him. You seem to known him and you and I know That many. Many manager’s are not abovementioned board end will lie at the drop of the hat. !

      What ever happened to those eeo. Did the employees get fired or retaliated against. !

      If trump gets elected many of these manager’s will be so pissed they will turn to Isis tactics and employees and veterans better look out when they see them carrying s gun. !

      Or they will have the VA police do their dirty work.

  6. Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 – ‘I fight like hell to pay as little as possible’: Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

    The VA is the people served Responsibility, not another corporate profit seeking entity off of war as now much of the privatized military has become, just look how fast and big the corporate merc army/intelligence was built above all laws and caused more lasting deadly damage to the American, once proud in leadership and moral, brand on the world stage! Not socialized anything but their Responsibility to Actually Sacrifice, as it’s been since it was established but promises never upheld with congressional fixes coming mostly unfunded and piece-meal causing more problems, the way those served seem to really like it that way as they lay blame on the VA personal!

    * DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11″, Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *
    Keeping My Oath: USN All Shore ’67-’71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country ’70-’71 – Independent**

    1. Hisrorically the world stage has been a deadly venue for Americans irregardless of any activity within or outside our borders. We are envied like no other because of one simple reason; we place the freedoms of the individual above all else in our laws, our ethics, and our social fabric.

      This makes us the crown jewel in our age of Freedom and democratic government which nearly every person I have ever met of foreign nationality is openly envious. Our Freedom is the spark plug of our economic wealth, and wealthy we are indeed as a nation compared to others who have not adopted our ways.

      We are a target of envy on the world stage, and that makes us a target as individual Americans by the World Stage for either tomotoes tossed at us on the stage, or grenades tossed at us in the field. It is our Freedom that we fight for in the field. Freedom from tyranny, terrorism, and death. This is what awaits each and every American on the World Stage my friend.

      If you believe the VA represents us well on the world stage in this context, then I am sure somebody at RAND can confirm that for you.

  7. I must add a personal note! Six years ago I stopped drinking liquor and began walking. When I started I was in excess of 375 pounds. The newspaper reported a year later my 200 pound weight loss. Morbid obesity I have learned is common in untreated PTSD.

    My years as a morbidly obese drunk person interacting with others has gifted me insight that is hard to come by. I wear medium stuff now, instead of tight fitting 6X clothes, and I have abstained from alcohol every day since and plan to do so today too. One day at a time.

    I am going to step out on a limb here…in photo after photo, and visit after visit, I see the entire VA as being morbidly obese individuals. A few are not, but look at that guys fat rolls in the photo. Why do I bring this up? Because I know what I am talking about.
    No human allows themselves to become that obese without some serious internal conflicts going on. That guy is not just pudgy or just a little out of shape. Morbid obesity always a secondary condition to some psychiatic primary one.

    As a fat man I looked for others who were like me in society. Here is who I joked about being part of the fat man club; Royalty (historical), Bankers, Bakers, and the Mafia. All,the leaders of those agencies historically are morbidly obese drunks.

    I am adding the VA to that list. My eyes are not blinded by polite necessity.

    1. @redturtle984-
      That is a very good visual analogy. Kudos to you for ceasing to drink and loosing that remarkable amount of weight!!

      Glad you stepped-out on a limb and stated that because I have long-thought same thing when one goes to about any Medical Center, private or the VA, and you will have a large % of medical professionals, namely the nurses and medical assistants, but also some Dr.’s whom are morbidly obese, yet these same professionals will give a patient grief about needing to loose weight, et al…yet, the medical professionals are not necessarily following their own advice.

      It’s exactly as hypocritical when we now have an Undersecretary of Benefits Murphy whom to this day denies that Agent Orange is even harmful and Murphy is definitely not the ‘visual poster-child for maintaining good health’. Lead by example simply does not work from we Veterans looking up the rank and file here and yet another supporting reason I believe to allow the UCMJ to entirely replace the AFGE. It would completely fulfill the VA’s intense love of acronyms and has the same amount of letters.
      We Vets are accustomed to consistency and order…the VA is the polar opposite of that and the VA wonders just WHY Vets find the VA adversarial in nature?!!!

      Maybe the stacked deck chairs by Hungry, Hungry Hippos is seen as the V.A. Titanic’s Floatation Devices in the event of an iceberg called accountability?

      1. If anyone writes to trump. They should tell him about this guys saying that about agent orange.
        Maybe trump will say your fired !

    2. Good for you. You have to feel a lot better !

      These employees have do much money and time to get that way.

      Don’t bother me. I’m eating. !

      That’s not what the government calls pork is it.

  8. I did not notice on the list who is going to head up the division that America now pays good money to employ to protect the countless thousands of VA employees from VA retribution should these employees express valid concerns?

    After all, only an employee who discovers illegal or highly unethical behavior is eligible for protection, so this office need only protect a scant few employees from their own bosses owing to VA definition of “illegal or highly unethical behavior. For example, last year here in Oregon, the VA hospital operating under a federal grant was exposed as transplanting experimental organs into vets without informing the vets they were part of the experiment.

    VA hospital Portland is now banned from receiving hese research dollars which is unprecedented in our history. VA did not concur that ethic were violated. So not one of those whistleblowerrs would even qualify for protection from the career ending revenge visited upon them by VA itself that happened. So the office that protects VA employees from illegal behavior by VA employees only needs a couple staff menber for faxing shit like denials.

    The good news is that the VA doctors that participated in transplanting the experimental organs now have valuable skills as the procedure is simply not one practiced in a setting that allows patients to recover damages. Much like the horrifc experiments precisely like this one done by Nazi folks on experimental Jews instead of vets. Dissecting hollocaust victims alive and transplanting experimental stuff without consent yielded gruesome deaths but valuable medical knowledge.

    …horrific, and our own VA follows in their footsteps claiming that no ethics were violated…it is unclear if all people who received the experimental organs have been notified they may have a time bomb inside. No ethics problem here though.

    Interesting time in American history when we have to employ offices to protect American government worker from the government illegal actions that have been perpetrated so often, we now need an administration to handle it.

    I just did not see in that list who exactly is in charge of protecting everyone else in VA from the people listed above. As a matter of fact, I have not seen a single person named whose job it is to protect the patients from the exact same people America now protects VA whistleblowers from – the VA itself. What other government agency is so corrupt that we need an administration just to attempt to short circuit revenge from the government itself?

    Mr. President, tear down these walls – kick the bastards out. That is the list I want to see.

    1. How about Mr president build those wall’s ? Put bar’s on them and tell all management to report to their new duty station. !

      No civil or constitutional rights afforded. They can sit behind those wall’s and shout out from the top of their voices. I saw framed. !

      And just like veterans. They would not be ? !

  9. More I look at Murphy’s mug, he actually looks a bit like one of the very Disney ‘Minions’ but instead of a yellow minion, he just happens to be happily Agent Orange Minion. Making more ‘Minions”. That’s what this list is amounting to and we cannot let it shake our morale fortitude.
    Why?
    Because they would *not* be so nefariously stacking the deck chairs on the VA Titanic, if they were not feeling ours and the American Public’s ~~HEAT~~. Accountability IS the V.A. Titanic’s ‘iceberg’ and we better hold Trump to his word whether he wins or not…I get the distinct vibe that Donald J. Trump indeed wishes to leave a ‘legacy’. Something that outlasts any of his construction projects if maintained, Liberty, and that my brothers and sisters is steering our USA away from the very icebergs of the same ilk of Murphy and the VA and all those that have eyes wide shut and allow Vets to be their patsies.

    I think Trump also senses that USA is possibly on the brink of another Civil War or worse and it would not surprise me one bit if the VA’s Aurora Black Hole Project is nothing but a huge subterranean shelter for these same ilk so they can rise and be in power again after the mayhem and carnage and dust and possibly more settles. *wink* *wink* I LOVE science fiction, but the VA goes way beyond science fiction when you just read what they do week after week, year after year…you cannot make this stuff up.

    Time for the rats to be forced to jump off the ship or be crushed by our will and MIGHT.

    Founding Fathers indeed warned us of these exact times we are living in.

    Would a ‘Minion’ float like a warning buoy or sink or dissolve like all turds do in water? 🙂

    Word of the day is, Minions.

    1. We need to do the same as Turkey did. Arrest all the top officials. In one big round up. !

      Their us no difference between what our VA employees and elected officials are doing taking the government and doing as they please. !

      Treason. !

      Crimes against humanity !

      1. I am liking you more and more James! Great idea. Have you ever heard of Tsun Tsu? He wrote the Art of War in ancient times. Its a good book, and after he wrote it his emporer summoned him and questioned him about it. Tsun Tsu explained that if practiced religiously, the principles in the book could take any fighting force to victory.

        The Emporer, being a collasal jack ass (my own historical viewpoint) gave Tsun Tsu a chance at proving himself. The Emporer asked his chief and most beloved concubine to round up all the other court girls and assemble them for Tsun Tsu. He thought he was being clever by giving Tsun Tsu a platoon of courtesan girls, because TT said he could use ANY military force and win. TT instructed the girls to respond to the commands, turn left, turn right, lunge forward, step back, and stand silently. The girls were given staffs.

        TT then steped back and began barking the orders. The girls giggled. TT explained what he wanted again. He faulted himself for not explaining it correctly the first time. Good leader. TT again barked the orders. More giggling. The Emporer looked on from a distance. TT said, I realize that you lack the discipline expected of your leader (the Emporer’s favorite concubine).

        He instructed his men to immediately behead the woman in front of his new platoon of courtesan girls. The Emporer sent swift messenger to instruct him to spare the woman. TT immediately beheaded her anyway. He explained that the Emporer had made him General and a Generals duty is to the mission given only – by the book, and that even the Emporer must be countermanded when his orders are contrary to good discipline.

        TT then turned to the women, promoted the most senior as their commander, and history records that the women after that performed the manuevers in silence and in flawless form and with great enthusiasm for perfection.

        This is from history and by the book that has guided military leaders ever since. I was asked to study it as an officier candidate and my copy sits on my shelf behind me.I suggest that our next leader practice the principles suggested by Tsun Tsu and so very aptly demonstrated by him just before the Emporer made him Supreme Commander of his enitre military.

        It is a good book.

      2. You know, not that I think an Under Secretary’s head rolling around on the floor wouldn’t get some thieving slugs attention, his head rolling figuratively might get just as much.
        The next Secretary should be like Marine General Matt is or similar who comes in, finds the nearest crook and publicly fires them. It would not take more than one or 2 before the rest got the message quick.
        I worked for an organization years ago when a retired AF Colonel was hired as the head. I never met him, but from the emails I saw and how quickly things changed around, he certainly wasn’t going to take BS excuses that upper management were used to giving.
        We were supposed to be getting a new system and the delivery date kept slipping, and the project was seriously going over budget. Within 3 months he had it back on track and it was delivered on the date it was supposed to be.

        I never saw so many upper management civilians scared spitless in my life.

        On the Murphy thing and hiring flunkies, all of these appear to be directed reassignments. I don’t know how else they could fill all those positions so quickly.

        That would suggest some of these hospital directors that are thieves could be dealt with the same way. Reassign them to the VACO under some screaming Colonel and see how long they last.

      3. @91Veteran

        Lolz, I concur that severed heads in this age would grab attention but I wonder if it is a correct conclusion that it was the loose head that motivated the girls, or was it more the fact that TT was willing to tell His Royal Highness to go to hell and just get the job done. After all, when the chief professional girl gets whacked the other pros immediately realize promotions are in order, right? Sounds like a bonus really, but I am kind of a bitter male too so maybe my views are tainted (RAND 1964).

        I guess some things like that will always be lost to history.

  10. Danny Devine is another piece of work. He was an aide with the House Vets Affairs committee from 1995-1997. He served as a public affairs flack in the Maryland National Guard and as a program director with Amvets before that.
    The most interesting thing on Devine is an IG report dates February 5, 2010, Report number: 09-01492-83.
    I’m the second page in, in an investigation by the IG titled Abuse of Authority, Misuse of Position and Resources, Acceptance of Gratuities, and Interference with an OIG investigation, Devine is shown on page 2 as: “We also substantiated that Mr Daniel C. Devine, Special Assistant to the Acting Undersecretary for Health, interfered with an OIG investigation and intentionally made false statements to the IG while under oath.”
    So the IG busted his ass lying under oath and had email evidence to prove it, and he gets promoted.
    His interference resulted in the IG target destroying evidence, including pay records.
    Rather than the IG referring the matter to the DOJ for prosecution, they referred the matter to the VA Chief of Staff for administrative action.
    That whole report shows what a pit of corruption the VA is.
    A Match 2010 Washington Times article discusses some of the IG report, including the target who took taxpayer funded trips to Lad Vegas and San Diego, and also claimed hundreds of hours of leave that she was not entitled to.
    Devines lawyer claimed he was wrongly accused which is bullshit. The IG had evidence he lied.
    The IG also found another employee with 2600 porn images on his computer.
    To quote a Star Wars line, Murphy is creating a “more wretched hive of scum and villany.”

    1. The VA cannot exist in our system if staffed by people of integrity. If so staffed, those people would have dismantled it long ago.

      At VA there really is no difference between the truth and deception. Each are practiced, and the practice has polished the player that have become very good at lying while looking another human in the face.

      Nobody with integrity works at VA because if the VA is considered a machine then all the parts are spinning along and the machine keeps going. If you try to put a cog or gear into the machine that spins the other way and tells the truth, that cog causes a chain reaction and brings the machine to a halt.

      The VA is a counter clockwise lying machine. Provable. A person of integrity has gears that spin clockwise. The two cannot mesh and expect the machine to function. There is not one person in the mafia that innocent. Oops, I meant the VA.

      1. Well, the mob controls/operates most Waste Management in the USA, and since the VA seems to ‘waste’ their resources and look upon Vets as a ‘waste product’, really no difference. Excellent analogy.

  11. Mark Bilosz is list in an October 2014 blog post here on Ben’s blog about VA bonuses. Bilosz was paid a $16,469 bonus then while paid a salary of $139,346. He makes $141,436 as of 2015.
    There is a Salt Lake Tribune article from 2010 quoting Bilosz saying Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange should file a claim.
    He should fit right in with Murphy.

  12. Dave McLenachen is a piece of work, but will fit right in with that thug Murphy.
    A January 2015 article at theblaze dot com about McLenachen testifying to the House on HR280…a bill to recoup bonuses paid to VA employees under false pretenses. Seems McLenachen couldn’t really formulate an opinion on the law.
    The real scandal with him and Murphy is from a Washington Times article from April 2015. Seems McLenachen and Murphy signed VA Fast Letter 13-10 which guides VA Regional Offices to adjust dates on veterans claims “found” in a claims folder to the current date in order to falsely lower a massive backlog.
    Three quotes from the article quoting the IG report:
    “On July 23, 2013, staff were instructed to apply current dates for claims older than November 1, 2012, thereby limiting the age of the oldest possible discovered claim to 264 days.”
    “In December 30, 2013, VA staff in Philadelphia were ordered to apply current dates for claims older than June 1, 2013, reducing the age of the oldest possible discovered claim to 212 days.”
    “And on March 11, 2014, management told workers not to establish any claims with a date of claim older than Feb. 26, 2014, thereby reducing the age of the oldest possible claim to 13 days.”

    The IG only looked at claims in Philly, but this letter went VA wide.

    Murphy and McLenachen both signed the letter fucking over thousands of veterans, and both get promoted.

    The Times article quotes House VA committee chair Miller, which makes one wonder WHY he didn’t follow up on that defrauding of veterans, and why he is doing nothing about both Murphy and McLenachen.

    1. Is THAT Murphy somehow related to Tom Murphy? Nepotism runs through the VA like chronic diarrhea, reason I ask. Maybe just a coincidence since it is a common name, but it makes me wonder.

  13. Interesting to see Rob Reynolds was DAV National Commander in 2008.
    I found a news article on vets4politics dot blogspot dot com talking about a VA IG investigation into conflict of interest charges over serving both in DAV and working at the VA.

    I didn’t read the IG whitewash to see what the conclusion was.

  14. I hope Trump gets elected and keeps his word. He said he is going to fire all of them and put men and women in their places that he knows will do the right job. And do what is right by our veterans. Trump is angry about the way the VA has been operated. Mostly having to do with its leadership in Washington D.C. Quite frankly I don’t trust any of them.

  15. My only question is, how many were pushed out to make room for cronies, and how much will be scammed in moving expenses to shuffle these deck chair seat warmers?

    1. They’ll spit out the “5th”, right after 20 Jan. 2017!
      As will a great many more ingrates!

    2. They are federal employees. They do not ned to plead their rights to be able to escape the justice served up to non fed employees. The banner benefit shown on VA website offering employment points out that as federal employees the US govt. and not the employee is “responsible for any wrongdoing…”

      While employed as a VA servant, they are legally not responsible for any wrong doing. Go to their website and look it up. They have contracted with the United States government for legal immunity.

      The agency that serves the group who is sworn to uphold and defend the Constituion are themselves not bound by the Constitutional limitations placed on government, The cornerstone of their employment offer is overt unaccountability. Agreed to by those folks in that list. We have been obligated as a People to forgive wrongdoing contractually of those who we call public servant.

      They are above the need for Constituional rights.

      1. That’s exactly HOW the VA attracts the VA ship than I care to count. It became so evident that I now have no consistency nor integration of care with my other private/Medicare Specialists, because the revolving door just spits the craptastic medical professionals into the VA’s arms because if you think about it, if a medical or otherwise professional is SEEKING employment where there’s no worries of being sued or held accountable, does that not already bring to question that individual’s morale compass?

        Sure, I know that Medical Malpractice Insurance is incredibly expensive, but it also “helps” keep some integrity and accountability to things and the patient’s benefit and also pay for it in the long haul in charged services.

        The VA is not attracting the brightest light bulbs on the strand when they use the hiring wording to entice, “No Accountability, because you cannot usually sue the U.S. Gov.”….the RAT BASTARDS just gobble it up like an open feed grain bag in the Titanic’s hold. Then there’s the whole performance bonus thing that seems to only award according to how much $ they save the VA, so it’s not saved $ at all, just the opposite.

        Sorry. Rant out. Time to dig into some synths and play so meditative ambient music. THAT is my chill pill. 🙂

        Pink Floyd, ‘The Wall’ comes to mind….

      2. They are not above the law and those that think they are. Are going to have s rude awakening if trump has his way.

        No body has taken them to task and when they are. They will fall like a house made out of cards. !

        If this type of behavior continues there will be a war. ! What don’t they understand we the people have had enough. !

        Other countries may think this is freedom. Freedom is not freedom when you government officials act like they are better than everyone else and will wilfully hurt anyone that trys to fix it.

        These people have to be held accountable !

  16. I’m shocked not to see Diana rubins and Graves on that list. Oh yea their not their type!

    They will be the ones that will do the dirty work. !

    Where’s Bob anyway. !

    They need to do a child’s book. Finding Bob. !

    1. Funny you should mention Rubens and Graves.
      A quick search on Cheryl Rawls turns up a militarytimes article from November 2015 talking about the VAs inability to fire Rubens and Graves, and how Rawls has been named acting director of the Philly regional benefits office.
      Yet Murphy says she came from Winston Salem, and there is a November 2014 article saying she is in Winston Salem, and the media wanted to talk with her then about wait times.
      Her LinkedIn profile only shows Winston Salem and Little Rock and doesn’t mention Philly at all.

      I guess that’s why Murphy said she’s willing to serve anywhere needed. She’s a good little flunky at following orders and cleaning up dirty laundry.

      1. Damn! Rubens and Graves’ names come-up all-too-often and is it any wonder why and how they got away with outright fraud? Those two probably have something on Murphy. What a cesspool of corrupt white collar leaches.

      2. I have meet and seen people like these two at many va’s and I also believe they have something in someone.

        99 percent of management are arrogant. They told their employees. Let’s see who has the last laugh. !

        We. Plead the 5th. You know someone higher told them to do this and by George it worked and now their employees are walking on egg shell’s and not one would turn them in why (retaliation)

        They were not in a court of law. So how and why did they plead the fifth and the committee let them. !

        I guess anyone can plead the fifth anytime any place and that’s the end of it. !

        I really. Feel bad for their employees. !

        They should still press charges on them for waste and abuse. !

      3. James,

        They were able to invoke their Constitutional right against self incrimination because they had been served with subpeona and were legally required to show up in front of Congress. The ONLY power that Congress can apply directly to VA is power of subpeona and as I recall this time represented only the second time in history that VA flat refused to testify voluntarily.

        If they had elected not to show up, or elected not to speak then they would,have been found to be in Contempt of Congress. Congress does indeed have that power to imprison those who disobey a direct summons by The People through our Congress. We will wait for the inevitable showdown when VA no longer obeys subpeona as they nearly elected to do this time.

        As far as invoking rights by VA people, I stand apart a bit on the issue as I believe that all Americans, dirty or not, should invoke ALL of their rights at all times. I also believe that writing Bob, POTUS or trying to call in a favor on any individual basis is like complaining about mice eating cheese that is left out.

        The whole reason the VA is so securely corrupt is that it falls outside of normal govt. Instead of The People providing relief to wounded warriors, it becomes Bob’s VA, POTUS VA, or Hillary VA or ….et al. As long as we are placing our eggs in the basket that just one man out of 200 million controls, or tries to control, then efforts to end the nightmare will fail as they always have. Those people become beholden to a single individual’s ideas about how the staff should behave, display a facade that they are complying, then they wait four years until the next election.

        Then it becomes, Tom, Dick, or Harry’s VA. and the wheels just keep spinning but the truck goes nowhere.

        I will indeed write a letter to the man who elected to become responsible for the staff at VA;

        Dear Bob,

        Your fired. Please take your staff with you.

        Sincerely,
        United States Veteran
        Semper Fi

      4. I put this Utube video on once before. Maybe y’all might want to revisit it.
        Published on July 12, 2016.
        title to google is;

        “Rep. Ms. Walters: Switched-it-up to UNANSWERED Questions about VA Wait Times!”

        If you remember, this was during the questioning of DOJ Lynch’s testimony over Hillary’s involvement on her “private server and classified documents” scandal.
        Lynch was specifically asked why no one had been prosecuted!
        Her answer(s) will amaze y’all!

  17. Here’s a real interesting article I commented on earlier today. This one will get you BP going.
    It’s from “The Horn news”
    title to google is;

    “Cops are FURIOUS at Clinton”

    July 22, 2016 | 122 comments

    There’s “letters” written to Clinton by cops from Philadelphia! They spell out why they are “FURIOUS”!
    The comments ain’t to bad either……

    1. Here’s an additional Utube video, published on July 22_ 2016, on the extreme
      “anti-cop rhetoric” by Clinton’s campaign sponsor’s!
      title to google is;

      “DNC Invites Blacks, Not Cops & Bans Males”

      Very interesting video! Y’all will catch it’s meaning quickly!

  18. @namnibor and Dennis.
    Something is definitely taking place in the “White Collar Clouds of VA!”

    I agree with you both.

    A “circling of the wagons” is a correct analogy of what’s happening, Dennis!

    Like I said a day or two ago. It’s going to get rough for all veterans, and let’s not forget the taxpayers! It’s been reported, if Hit-LIAR-y is elected, taxes will go sky high, jobs will be almost unheard of, “WE the People” will no longer be FREE and much, much more insanity! The inmates are indeed running the nuthouse!
    Sooner or later the SHEEP better awake! God help us if they remain asleep!

  19. I am thinking he is doing the same thing he did with the agent orange veterans. And now that he is in charge he has hand picked all those career VA employee’s that have produced the most turn down against veterans. His little band of wagoner’s seems to be just what he ordered. He hired all the people that have the best Failure Rates for Compensation, Pension, Financial, Benefits for VA Employee’s.

    I am not surprised at all. Just remember that God knows all and sees all. He is our shelter and refuge. He layeth us down in green pastures. Have Faith we will be heard.

    1. Knowledge is power, research is the source. Check out RAND while you are at it. They have 1700 researchers. In May RAND released a (likely hugely expensive report) based on 140 documents obtained from dead terrorists.

      It is unclear how long it took RAND to formulate a hypothesis, but as of May 16, 2016, RAND informs us that the Islamic Nation is attempting to take over the World and form one big Islamic City under Islamic Law.

      I am going to demonstrate my willingness to contirbute to a solution by adding to RANDs analysis – as a Marine I came to exactly the same conclusion back in October of 1983. I was deemed a genius child so I naturally notice things. I noticed on TV not so much 141 documents as the 241 dead servicemen in Beirut which further analysis confirmed were “not from natural causes” (RAND 1983).

      My genius intellect came to that same gosh darn conclusion but it took bodies of Marines on TV to really light that fire and not just docs taken from dead terrorists. Most in Beirut were killed in their sleep by the valiant Islamic State RAND analysed for us at huge $$$.

      RAND, if you are listening, can I get a job?

    1. dennis I think you are right about the wagons and reinforcements. I know I don’t like Murphy anyway. The more people you have to do your work for you, the less work you have to do ! And I wish Allison Hickey was back in her old position !!!
      Dave

      1. I still would like to know whether all these positions Murphy filled with his protective thugs were vacant, or whether he pushed out others to bring in his own thugs.

  20. Looks like this would be classified as “Trump Preventives”–just in-case. Why do we need all this FAT in the command chain? Is their an Undersecretary of Latrines as well? 🙂

    1. There was namnibor, but a RAND study concluded that vets deprived of latrines leave VA facilities with more than they came there with, which is far better than non-VA care…position has been vacated, and not in the scatological sense…or maybe it was?

      1. Well, RAND claimed it was a clean wipe of it. Unfortunately they ignored the shit all over the walls, on the floor and falling from the ceiling that even Stevie Wonder could see.

    2. VA DEATHCARE WILL KEEP ON KILLING VETS FOR THE BONOUS $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ @ SEC BOB MCDONALD @ THE AFGE UION ARE PART OF THIS FEDERAL RICO CRIME AGIN VETS YO ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SCREWED BUY VA DEATHCARE FROM SATANIC HELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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