Happy Labor Day – Lots Of VA-Centric Drama Last Week
I wanted to wish my loyal readers and VA employees / contractors who are faithfully reading this website a happy Labor Day, and who read the VA drama last week.
It is my pleasure to provide you with the most accurate, veteran-centric news online, and last week was no exception.
I know we can all tune into main stream press, VA published news or news from VSOs, but those resources have historically misled the masses about the VA wars. You come here to get the real deal and to share your own research from across the web. I appreciate that.
LABOR DAY DUTIES
My wife and I are taking it easy today… well kind of. I am working on a presentation covering traumatic brain injury for an upcoming presentation. Later this month I’m hoping to publish my next benefits guide that will cover traumatic brain injury claims processing.
Last week was a busy week.
OUTSOURCING VETERANS CRISIS LINE CALLS
As you know, VA was not forthcoming in explaining how a veteran’s Veterans Crisis Line phone call was routed to an overseas call center. They claim that never happens, but refused to provide evidence of their audit of the situation or the name of the company that supposedly fielded the call.
RELATED: Did VA Outsource Its Veterans Crisis Line
Instead, they demanded I change the article without providing any material with which I could verify their claims. They apparently were unfamiliar with how I do things here.
Perhaps the issue came up at an inconvenient time given that September is Suicide Awareness Month.
DEBORAH AMDUR RETIREMENT
We had the misfortunate of watching Sloan Gibson IV blow up at a reporter who asked him a legitimate question about Deborah Amdur’s retirement. Gibson asserts the retirement was health related and had nothing to do with the recording scandal that exposed more problems at Phoenix VA. He further belched that anyone who suggests otherwise is a “jerk” who is “full of crap.”
Yours truly did suggest that the previous week, so I supposed Gibson’s belligerent fit on national TV can be considered an attack on my character, a disabled veteran and officer of the court as an attorney.
When asked for specific details concerning Amdur’s retirement, VA was not forthcoming, again. Gibson did claim the job at Phoenix “almost killed” Amdur, but he continued to assert Phoenix VA was in great shape. Again, duplicity at its finest – – surprise, a VA official talking out of both sides of his mouth.
RELATED: Phoenix VA Director Resigns After Recording Scandal, Cites Health
THOMAS BURCH FUNDRAISING SCHEME
We also exposed another VA deception about Thomas Burch and his nonprofit scheme. VA told CNN it hand no knowledge of his role at the nonprofit even though Burch also has a high-level position within the Office of General Counsel.
Meanwhile, we found numerous photos of Burch with VA employees in his official capacity that included a VISN chief and VA Secretary Bob McDonald. I wrote that VA lied to CNN, which they apparently did based on the photographic evidence I uncovered through a leak.
RELATED: VA Lied To CNN About Burch
Later, Bob McDonald emailed me directly asserting he did not know Thomas Burch and that questions attempting to validate that issue are “conspiracy theories.” Even if McDonald has no knowledge of Burch does not mean the Department of Veterans Affairs was unaware of what he was doing at National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, which was rated as a “worst” rated veteran charity.
It should surprise none of you that his use of the term was inappropriate. The actual definition of a “conspiracy theory” is:
“A theory that explains an event as being the result of a plot by a covert group or organization; a belief that a particular unexplainedevent was caused by such a group.“
We all know the Department of Veterans Affairs exists. God knows most VA employees perpetrating illegal schemes are too stupid to do so in a covert manner and get caught, including senior leaders inside the agency.
We also know VA employees regularly defraud the American taxpayer while injuring veterans. This is well known and confirmed for decades.
Anyway, so it was an interesting week watching VA lose its temper and throw fits. I’m sure their behavior would not be encouraged at their respective country clubs.
Ben, a question you could pose to Bob. As you know, Burch is their FOIA attorney within OGC and has some sort of function as their top guy with DHS.
If Bob, full of crap, jerk Shulkin or any other VACO flunky cannot even tell what employees in their own headquarters are doing, particularly one as high profile as Burch, why should we believe them when they tell us they know Phoenix is getting better?
Or any other hospital for that matter.
They claim they don’t know what Burch was up to, but somehow they know how hospitals across the country are doing?
Which is it Bob?
I’ve heard this saying numerous times—–
“You can’t have it both ways!”
So, which is it “Bagdad Bobbie”?
Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day.
Oh, Glad to see Robbie McDonald follows the site. It was nice of him to reach out and correct us all on our false impression that he must somehow know Burch since works under him in the same building. With the Picture of Robbie and Burch holding hands so intimately after Robbie pinned an award on him for his foundations work. Not to mention the pictures of Robbie hanging out with Rudi Gresham the Director of Burch’s other charity foundation American Veterans Support Foundation down in Florida.
It is so nice of Robbie to reach out and let us know that a picture is not worth a thousand words and not proof of him knowing someone who ran a sham charity that works for you in the same set of offices as he does. That his knowing Burch is just one big conspiracy theory.
For his work on uncovering this conspiracy theory Robbie deserves something special and I am sure he would definitely like to receive a Pershing 140 for all his dedicated hard work for the not so-good-folks who manage the Pershing Hall in Paris for the Veterans Administration. See Vid:
“https://www.pershing-yacht.com/en-us/models/video.aspx?IdBm=144&IdM=229&IdBr=6&mv=PUB”
Who know with all of Robbie’s work to reshape the Veterans Administration to something representing the wishes of Pershing LLC and Pershing LLC being a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon. Pershing has nearly $1 trillion in assets under administration. Pershing LLC is also backed by “The Bank of New York Mellon” which has more than $25 trillion in assets in custody. Source: Wikipedia
One would think that Pershing would think Robbie deserves one as a bonus.
After all, if they can afford to spreads some very sizable donations through the companies they own to the Clinton Foundation while lobbying the former Clinton state department and clean up on speeches made by the Ex-President all at the same time they should certainly be able to afford springing for a little Pershing 140.
Worth mentioning is some of the points made by the Ex-President at one of the speaking engagement for Pershing while they were making their move on Libya.
Titled: “Clinton at Pershing”, “Wealth Management.com”, by Mike Byrnes, June 13, 2012
Some of the highlights of his speach:
Under the heading of “The level of instability and prosperity”
“If there was no instability, all of you would be out of a job,” Ex-President Clinton told Pershing’s INSITE attendees. “There needs to be some risk taking.”
Under the heading of “The William J. Clinton Foundation”
“Clinton said sometimes the government can be too structured and have a narrow agenda. The President said, “We can get people together to do it faster, cheaper and better.”.”
Under the heading of “Looking at the United states”
“On taxes, he said we should bring down the corporate tax, as our country needs to be completive. He suggested going from 35% to 24 or 26%.”
Well that’s it for now but in closing a little more about J. Thomas Burch and his Paris trip to stay for a while at the Pershing Hall 5-star luxury hotel owned by the VA, but managed by Pershing LLC.
Here is a link to some of the pictures from the Way Back Machine for Bruch’s other Charity. Notice the monstrous set of ribbons and metals he pinned on his chest for this fake photo op. The phony photo op was to justify using some of the $133,348 he spent on travel during 2014. Oh and look– there Robbie.
“https://web.archive.org/web/20160108040315/https://www.supportusvets.org/gallery.html”
Incase anyone is look for a fishing boat and loves to dream here is more on Pershing Yachts from Pershing LLC.
“https://www.pershing-yacht.com/”
A link to the Veterans Administrations Pershing Hall in Paris managed by Pershing LLC.
“https://www.pershinghall.com/en/”
Ops! Sorry I was wrong.
The line “Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day.” should read as Hope everyone had a good “Labor Day”.
Thanks for the enlightenment… what a terrible pill to swallow. Say, speaking of pills, is Robbie not hooked up to Procter & Gamble, or some big pharma company??
Hi Mary,
You asked “Is Robbie not hooked up to Procter & Gamble, or some big pharma company??”
Short answer Yes and Yes.
~~~~
Long answer for the first Yes:
Robbie was the man in charge at Procter & Gamble before a forced retirement. Then later he accepting the positions as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
One of Robbie’s most notable actions while head of Procter & Gamble shortly before being forced to retire, was selling out the rights to Procter & Gamble’s pharm division to Israel based Teva Pharmaceuticals for a song and dance.
Teva has now established a strong foothold in the United States and is one of the major suppliers of generic drugs to the VA.
~~~~
Long answer for the second yes:
Also as noted in my comment on Pershing LLC who manages the Pershing Hall 5-star luxury hotel in Paris and the hotel is owned by the VA. The 99-year lease agreement Signed during the last Clinton Administration in 1997, calls for a yearly payment of $100,000 “pulse” to be paid into a fund established by Congress. The funds balance to be used by the Secretary of Veterans administration at his, or her, discretion.
A search of IP-GENI who-is record for the website “pershing.com” show that Merck and Co. servers host the website.
Also a search of LinkedIn for Michelle Wraight, the Chief Privacy Officer at Pershing, a BNY Mellon company. Show that Michelle was employed by Merck for 18 years prior to being reassigned to her current position. Her last position at Merck was Senior Manager, Information Security Officer.
Given the security issues and legal ramifications of Merck’s servers providing hosting to an investment firm it is certain that Merch owns a controlling interest in Pershing LLC. Clearly Robbie benefits from the slush fund paid into by Pershing so yes he is employed by Merck.
A recent example of Merck’s connection to the VA is the questionable handling of Dr. Raymond Schinazi after Dr. Schinazi who made $400 million off the sale of the new Hep C cure that was researched and tested on Veterans through the VA. The research funding was also provided by the VA. But the VA kaleidoscope of disinformation made the sale appear legal.
Shortly thereafter the VA relinquished their rights to the new cure. Merck, controllers at Pershing LLC, won a $200 million lawsuit against Gilead who had purchased the rights to the cure from Dr. Schinazi. The lawsuit was directly connected to the Hep-C cure.
Holy sh^t! No wonder FOIA responses are so pathetic. Travel costing over $133,000? when was he ever in the office?
No wonder Bobbaloo says he doesn’t know him.
The number is from the IRS tax forms for Burch’s sham foundations under the total amount listed as spend on Travel and travel expenses. The source for $133,000 spend on Travel was given in the CNN video on the CNN story Ben listed as the source for his recent article on Burch.
Titled “How Was Veterans Affairs ‘Unaware’ Of Thomas Burch Fundraising Scheme?”
Source: “https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/31/politics/national-vietnam-veterans-foundation-charity-out-of-business/ “
So if I understand correctly, the $133k is what his “charity” spent on travel.
Well, clearly, that travel was to various functions where Burch could be insured of a photo op, with said photos to be used as advertising for future fundraising for future travel to photo ops.
Like a self eating watermelon.
Burch’s Rolls Royce must need a tune-up as it seems to be using A LOT of gas. More donations needed in the gas tank…very much like the VA’s Black Hole.
Hey Namnibor,
With the amount claimed for storage on vehicles and his Rolls being his work beater. Have to wonder what other vehicles he has in storage. Maybe a Pershing Yacht down at the Yacht club?
We may have located where those 30+ VA Vehicles are that went ‘missing’. Burch assimilated them into his personal fleece, err, fleet.
This past week could probably be put to some well-known Christmas song that ends with, “…and a partridge in a pear tree”!
The VA Meat Grinder has what we called the “scours” back on the farm. (projectile diarrhea from a cow…not pretty)
I am still laughing– hadn’t heard that term in years. Brings back some old farm memories.
Ben. Nope you and your family s nice weekend and for everything you HAVE done.
Higher. Management us out of touch and will define anything any way they want
They can male up a dictionary as to what each word means to them and it for rhe most part won’t be what out current dictionary means !
The VA dictionary will have in small print. Subject to change without notice
Their like the Colorado weather wait five 5 minutes and it will change. !
Keep. Doing what your doing and trust IN GOD and no one else. !
If. This site helps one person. Its worth it. But I know that just one for you us not enough. Keep thinking that so other’s CAN at least hope. Someone will care hand do something.
So. Many Veterans deserve do Much better. I won’t asked for help. I’m to tired of asking. !
TBI. Who cares. Rhe VA has denied my TBI disability for over forty year’s. Hell they won’t even admit I was shot in the head
They Keep saying I was hit in the head with a tear gas canister.?
HAVE to be a big pistol to shoot one of them. !
Oh. Well I’m 63 not much longer I guess. I know the VA wished I would have died a long time !
It’s just hard to ask for help. When you know no one will come and help.
I liked what you said to Ben about trusting in God. We need you with us also. Don’t give up. Have you ever watched that movie Battleship? Those old boys from WWII really kicked major butt. Even tho its Hollywood, the actors were really old and that made me feel real good. Hang in there- heck, I have four years on you & throwin’ in the towel is definitely not on my agenda..If it gets too bad, take time out for a quick prayer. Right now I am thanking God for this website. Good Luck!
Thanks. I understand. It’s just that every time I ask for help. None ever comes. Having a TBI puts me at such a disadvantage
Even when I furnish 10 year’s of proof to Bob McDonald’s office proving the VA rail roaded me. By the VA letting one of their employees falsely accuse me of disruptive behavior
And the chief of staff in Denver. Who is also the chair person of the disruptive committee admitted they had no evidence. He still proceeded to punish me
I have a letter. Well a few. One stating to s senators office. Due to the reporting of Mr Gallegos being disruptive
Hid official medical record’s were never coded for that disruptive behavior. Nor were hid official medical record’s ever Red Flagged
That’s B.S.. They punished me for 5 year’s and placed into my official medical record’s
If. We are (ever) advised that you again become disruptive. You will have federal charges placed upon you and you will be arrested and you will be banished from all VA care. !
This was all sent to Bob McDonald’s office and his office. Did nothing. !
What they did was send it back to the Denver vamc and the Denver VA director once again wrote those were the facts at the time.?
Rhe only fact they had. Was the fact that they punished a veteran without any evidence. !
They let a disgruntled employee make allegations and did not ask for any proof. Which she had none. !
Just had to say it was so. And they did not question. Why she did not have any evidence.
Bob McDonald’s. Employee Stephanie spoke to me twice and told me that the employee Who made the false allegations
No longer worked for the VA. And when I told her. That the employee did still work for the VA And that she had been lied too or she was lieing to me
Stephanie. Stopped all communication. So Bob McDonald’s office continued to let the employee and the Denver VA management to keep lieing and not get to the bottom of the matter. !
So. Thank you Stephanie and you Bob McDonald for assisting in a cover up of Retalation against a former VA employee
And 100 percent disabled veteran. Suffering from ptsd and a TBI. You let them attack a disabled person. !
You. Should be very proud of youself. !
Thank You Ben.
For all the help you’ve given Veterans, Nonveterans and all the other people who come on this site.
Hope your Labor Day is uneventful and pleasant.
Don’t eat too much BBQ!
I forwarded the report of Crisis line outsourcing to my Congressman, who has asked the VA for an explanation. Tommy Burch worked in the back of the General Counsel’s office. Tommy was helpful to me when I was first invited up to Secretary Shinseki’s office. He told me he was stationed as a JAG officer in Saigon. I am sorry to see him in this light.
Here’s a new video out from “Jim Fetzer in The Jeff Rense Show!” (Sept. 1, 2016 20:50 minutes long)
Published on Sept. 3, 2016 for y’all to watch. If y’all thought Hildabeast was/is going “debate” Mr. Trump, here’s proof it ain’t gonna happen.
titled;
“Hillary Clinton Will Not Debate Donald Trump”
Their calling it a “FORUM” now! Instead of it being two hours, it’s been kicked back to one hour.
That isn’t the only interesting part. Each person will be on different stages. Hildabeast is going to be given “staged questions”!
Not so with Mr. Trump.
After y’all google this. I’ll bet your first words will be, “WHAT THE FUCK!”
Those were my words, after about the first 5 minutes of listening!
P.S.
It’s on Utube!
Hey Crazy Elf- That’s next on my agenda- to watch Hitlary back down from Trump again. By the time the vid’s over… I will probably be saying WtF too! Did you watch Clinton Cash? Definitely a must see.
Did you catch the utube vid on her choking in Cleveland Today?
Titled “Hillary Clinton Started To Cough Violently In Cleveland, Ohio”
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H133cTro1NQ”
Then again today on the Plane when she was “””Being More Open”””.
Titled “Hillary Clinton’s Coughing Fit Ends Press Gaggle on Plane”.
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apuA5CACTfs”
She must be allergic to the press or that New Plane Smell.
@Seymore Klearly– “She must be allergic to the press or that New Plane Smell.” <—-PRICELESS!!!!
Here’s the first article on why Hillary will not be debating Mr. Trump.
titled:
“Presidential Debates between Trump and Hillary Canceled”
Published on Sept. 2, 2016
Andy Gause on ‘The Jeff Rense Show!” on Sept 1, 2016.
He plays a ‘clip’ from Alex Jones from “Infowars.com” explaining the “Commander in Chief Forum” by Matt Laur (sic)!
Here’s another issue brought up. Are y’all a “Nationalist” or a “Globalist”? I would add, Do y’all believe in a “Sovereign Nation” or a “Nation amoung/tied to many other nations”?
Do y’all believe in a “Constitutional Republic” or a country run as an “Oligarchy”?
P.S.
This is also on Utube!
Hello Ben and others. Hope you, yours, and all others are having a more pleasant long holiday weekend too. For myself it’s just another day, same stuff, different day.
I still haven’t heard a word about a local surgeon sending me out a copy of files even after filing a complaint with our corrupt uncaring attorney general. So now I guess I will bombard more including HIPAA with complaints about the VA and how seemingly what we were told about the VA, local medical colleges, IU, the corrupt medical boards, etc., being in total control over our lives and if leaving the VA or having disagreements with them will cost us a life time of doing without, and incapability of ever finding good care in Indiana again. Since they are one huge corrupt health care cabal, obviously.
I was given a number of a guy who just moved here from AZ, and dealing with the Phoenix VA. It was a short chat since he wasn’t sounding well and other priorities to take care of. However, what he did mention that joint is sicker than what we all may think we know. Especially when it comes to the depleted uranium secret illnesses to agent orange complaints some are still being denied over out yonder. Along with the “Blue Water Vets” group. Plus all the issues with lost files, or everything being lost in the files in the fire, or after, for those who was handling the stuff or flying it around and spraying. So there again it seems another day, same crap, and the only thing changing much is lying media and VA propaganda.
Civilian care here is turning out to be as bad as VA care, intentional or not. How is it now that we have to sign a ton of legal forms and contracts, have our pictures taken at the physicians office, blood tests, a long wait for the VA to scramble to mess our files up so as to make them all look good, changing, leaving out much, and making us seem as crazy as ever and our stories about the VA and staff too horrible and insane, incompetent, evil, threatening, to be true. So they look at me, us, like we’re crazy or full of BS about their “professional” partners in crime and high costs?
Pain MD here you go in expecting different better care but no. It turns out to not being able to find a parking spot for about an hour. Then more forms and new laws to read and sign or agree to. Then to have to wait, again, two to six hours in a small, packed, waiting room to be seen amid a flood of other patients going to a ‘chronic pain’ MD that doesn’t seem concerned about the words…”chronic pain.” We are there cause of chronic to severe issues, to be seen on time, but no. The game goes on in the conveyor belt of socialist styled health care. While the influx of ‘refugees,’ illegals, generational state aid people, think we come last or get cocky and tell us to take up knitting it’s like that all the time? BS. I can’t sit and wait like that let alone sit in their small chairs or wait out in the heat of day for hours. Then to read signs about no smoking on the property or water or drinks in the waiting room?
Indiana: No hope for our so-called rights here. No hope for decency. And definitely too much secrecy, waiting, ignoring, consequences, retaliation, to hidden insider file flagging that is kept from us. Seeings how I was told I can ask for such private chatter amongst the health care jokers, but they don’t have to give us that information. It’s not the law but up to their discretion and practice use. So there we go. I guess the threats from the VA staff is true, and too many fear the VA, state, local yokels to give a damn or try to take a stand in truth against the tyrants.
Indiana is a lost cause unless you are in some clique or special club. Or illegal.
I think Sloan sucks.
Balls
Thought someone was polevaulting the other day, but it was just the tip of Sloanes Pinocchio nose.