VA Coup John Ullyot Curt Cashour

Public Affairs Duo John Ullyot, Curt Cashour In On VA Coup Insiders Say

USA Today just published a story sourcing two insiders who indicate the highest public affairs officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs, John Ullyot and Curt Cashour, colluded to oust Secretary Shulkin.

Now, I said this last week specifically focusing on Cashour but also highlighting how unusual it was that his boss Ullyot threw Shulkin under the bus and allowed Cashour to divert communications to the White House. However, it is always nice to see my reports verified by USA Today a few days later.

RELATED: Purge – Will Curt Cashour Be Fired For Subversion?

The attempted ouster allegedly happened the day after the IG report was published into the Secretary’s wrongdoing involving taking his wife on a business trip vacation at taxpayer expense. The trip cost taxpayers $120,000, and Shulkin reportedly reimbursed taxpayers for the mistaken use of taxpayer monies to fund his wife’s portion of the trip.

In the investigation, John Ullyot, assistant VA secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, made statements implying Secretary Shulkin intentionally misled the press in a public statement made concerning the vacation.

The day of the release, VA press secretary Curt Cashour allegedly cut off the Secretary’s access to the press and even removed a comment from the Secretary on a public website.

RELATED: VA Chief Of Staff Steps Down Amid Coup

Coup Against Secretary Shulkin

The day after IG published its report, Shulkin alleged someone inside VA engaged in hacking of an email to mislead leadership in the investigation. There presently is no evidence of wrongdoing related to the email, and the then chief of staff responsible processing the trip resigned her post and retired.

Insiders say Cashour and Ullyot participated in a call slamming Shulkin and seeking support from an aide on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to force Shulkin’s resignation.

The duo issued a joint statement denying the statements were made but acknowledging the call, “That simply never happened, and the allegation is ridiculous.”

Cashour and Ullyot maintained the purpose of the call was to inform the aide that “we had no evidence of email hacking.”

“Our message was simple: be careful on advancing the hacking allegations publicly, as they were thus far baseless,” Cashour and Ullyot said in their statement. “The purpose of the call was to protect the secretary, the department and members of the committee from continuing to give credence to allegations that may later be disproven.”

RELATED: Trump Administration To Replace Thomas Murphy, Finally

How Are They Still Employed?

Just the fact that these two are still talking publicly after what they did engage in, throwing the Secretary under the bus, seems ill-advised. It almost shows the brazen disregard for normative standards and respect for your boss at a high level.

Let’s not forget Public Affairs is supposed to defend the agency and the secretary to the public and Congress, not throw him under the bus.

Who Is Curt Cashour?

Cashour formerly worked as the House Committee on Veterans Affairs as communications director. Before that, he worked for Revolution Agency and in public affairs for the US Army. Cashour received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University.

Who Is John Ullyot?

Ullyot, prior to being selected as assistant secretary, served in the Marines for four years as an intelligence officer following graduation from Harvard. Curiously, before Harvard, Ullyot studied at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. And before that, he studied at Deerfield Academy, a prestigious boarding school on the East Coast.

Here is a full list of his employers via LinkedIn (every position is related to public relations):

  • Trump Campaign
  • Brighton Strategy Group
  • High Lantern Group
  • Hill+Knowlton Strategies
  • US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
  • AOL
  • Intel
  • Marine Corps – Intelligence

Here is his education via LinkedIn:

  • Harvard University
  • Pushkin State Russian Language Institute
  • Deerfield Academy

Now, I wrote the following last spring, and it would seem my prediction was correct:

One thing is for sure, Ullyot has worked in public relations and messaging for many, many years, and is well connected in DC. My guess is you can count on messaging from the agency being tightened up. Having a spinster serve under Shulkin may be a sign that Trump intends to redirect messaging in some way.

Messaging at VA has been controlled covertly and overtly by the White House. Cashour reportedly removed Shulkin’s messages to the public following instruction from Trump’s team to divert communications.

Last Words

This is another development of the alleged subversion Shulkin declared following the release of the IG report. Infighting within the agency now seems obvious and continued infighting reflects Shulkin’s lack of support from the White House.

RELATED: Tone Deaf DAV Recognizes Thomas Murphy For “Outstanding” Advocacy

If Shulkin truly had the support he claims, Ullyot and Cashour would be on the unemployment line, not still barking about their failed ouster attempt.

So what’s the play at this point? We all know what Shulkin did lacked total common sense regardless of what anyone told him. But, trying to undermine your boss in such an overt manner cannot be good for anyone’s future or present job prospects.

Regardless of what President Trump thinks about Shulkin, it is truly poor form to not back your Secretary. Either fire Shulkin or let him get back to work running VA by first firing those who subverted his leadership authority.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/28/va-secretary-david-shulkins-top-pr-aide-lobbied-congress-get-him-fired-sources-say/380726002/

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49 Comments

  1. Get off this trap his in and let him do his job. He has piss off the Bribe taking bureaucrat in the VA system for the morning. What good is done so for wiring incompetent people at the VA. While else would a VA hospital in Aurora Colorado be more than a $1,000,000,000.?? That’s one billion dollars over budget.

  2. Benjamin: Loved the “Bad VA Art” today. I also see subliminal message of “Coo Coo” for the duo and call me slow today but I just got the significance of the photoshopped comy beret. 😀

    1. I was waiting for someone to figure out I pulled a photoshopped communist beret.

    1. I don’t either. Must be a problem with the system. Or, Big Brother IS watching!

      1. Hey dipshits. stop interfering with the correspondence of Veterans. Just like sneaky bitches. I wonder how they smell? Never mind, I never did like that tunabeast aroma during a humid day, or from walking the halls a little to fast.

    1. ANutterVet,
      I’d love to be a cook for Congress.
      There’s an odorless, tasteless version of ex-lax I’d love to put in their drinks, ie; water, coffee, tea, etc., etc., etc………???

      1. Cheap generic knock-offs of eye-drops have been utilized for decades by many a wait staff doing just that to the asshole non-tippers or just asses but good tippers all the same.
        EX-treme diarrhea out of nowhere! 😀 Imagine it would be amessy splat if the congress critter was on their stairmaster at the time of onset. 😀

      2. What if they were at the podium giving a speech or something. Got 2 go. lmao.

  3. I could care less about Shulkin or what happens to him. This I know for sure though if Shulkin is replaced that means some turd worse than he is will get the top job. We as veterans have nothing to look forward to. Trump came out and announced yesterday that he is for taking guns away from people with no due process just on somebody’s word that the gun owner had threatened someone. I can see the VA emplyees, nurses, doctors, and VA exec.’s chomping at the bit and can’t wait to turn some old and sick veteran over to the Fed’s because the veteran once said something that probably wasn’t even threatening at all not one damn bit. They’ll say something like, “Well, he’s a vet and he owns guns!” Senator Feinstein once said that veterans are terrorists. At my local VA the VA cops can search your vehicle while you’re not present just on a “suspicion” you may have a gun in it. I was told that they randomly break into anyone’s vehicle and search it just because it looks like it may have a gun in it and this is done while the veteran is at his appointment and doesn’t know anything about the search. The damn swamp isn’t getting drained. It’s rising and it ain’t caused by global warming. It’s caused by more and more turds getting dumped there.

    1. Dennis, I agree. It is infuriating to see how flippant Trump was in his actions or comments on guns.

      Take them away without due process?

      Take action through Executive Order?

      We just went through 8 years of dictatorial bullshit like that. If Trump wants to keep going down that path because of poll numbers and what some left wing teenagers are complaining about, his support with melt away and he will be a one term wonder.

      He may think things will be done properly with him in charge, but he will not always be in charge, and I don’t care to be targeted by the next Obama in the WH.

      1. I remember when gun sales went through the fucking roof when Obama got elected. Since I can’t own a firearm for multiple reasons anyways I have to chuckle. Who knew it was Trump we had to worry about all along lol.

    2. Remember Obama tried that about 3 years ago under the guise of the VA offering “free gun locks”…the huge problem with that is the VA mental health hack that tells you this with a saccharine smile will also in the very same breath ask you how many gun locks would you need and how many do you own and where do you keep them?
      I was flabbergasted and I told the bitch from Pakistan you have NO RIGHT asking me this….I got a phone call at home from her because I walked out of a session…I was able to thwart the SWAT Team and guess what? This was via me using my Medicare to avoid the VA at a non-VA hospital and it was a fucking VA Psych Hack working as a resident playing these mind games…I then told them I choose to no longer be enslaved by Pig Pharma and the mind fuck drugs when MMJ/Cannabis works a charm.

      I’m sure I’m on several watch lists but I also own no guns but thinking like McGyver, anything can be a weapon! (anarchist’s cookbook 101)

  4. Oh ya, Shulkin is toast at the VA.

    ________

    U.S. Office of Special Counsel
    OSC Presses VA to Report on HIV Testing Methods After Whistleblower Exposes Slow Implementation of Latest Generation Testing Directive in Miami
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    “Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report within 30 days on whether the VA has implemented the latest generation of HIV testing at veterans facilities nationwide. A whistleblower at the Miami VA Medical Center (VAMC) prompted OSC to seek a VA investigation of concerns that the Miami facility was slow to implement an agency-wide directive to use the latest generation testing.

    The VA investigation in Miami led to outside testing for veterans who required more precise results than the Miami VAMC could offer at the time. The review identified eight veterans whose HIV test results in the outside tests were different from the in-house tests, a discrepancy described in the medical field as “discordant results.” In one of the eight cases, the patient was deemed by his provider to be “high-risk” and his sample was subjected to more precise testing. Ultimately, the testing determined he was HIV-infected, and he commenced treatment. In another case, the Miami VAMC repeatedly attempted to contact a veteran with discordant results. Eventually, the veteran returned for repeat testing, tested positive for HIV, and commenced treatment. The remaining six veterans with discordant results returned to the Miami VAMC for retesting and tested negative.

    The VA found that the Miami VAMC was not slow to implement the new testing directive, as the whistleblower alleged. However, OSC determined that the VA’s findings do not appear reasonable. In a letter to President Trump, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner wrote that the available information establishes that the Miami VAMC failed to respond to the whistleblower’s concerns until after the whistleblower, Roman A. Miguel, a testing lab supervisor there, filed his disclosure with OSC and hand-delivered his disclosure to the facility director. The nationwide VA directive, Directive 1113, required VA facilities to implement fourth-generation HIV testing within one year of its publication.

    “I am incredulous that compliance with Directive 1113 and implementation of fourth generation HIV testing occurred only after Mr. Miguel’s disclosures and OSC’s intercession,” Kerner wrote. “Although the HIV testing issues affected a small percentage of those tested at the Miami VAMC and OSC has not been made aware of similar problems at other VA facilities, I strongly encourage the VA to take immediate action to ensure that every facility throughout the VA-network is in compliance with Directive 1113. To this end, I have asked Secretary Shulkin to query VA facilities nationwide regarding this extremely important patient and public health and safety concern and report back to me regarding the results within 30-days. I thank Mr. Miguel for bringing this matter to OSC’s attention and commend him for his dedication to the health and well-being of our veterans.””

    Full press release at: https://osc.gov/News/pr-18-21.pdf

    1. Seymore,
      You may be 100% correct on your assertion about the Republican come the mid term elections.
      Only, God help us if the Dems get control of two of the houses in Congress! That leaves Trump completely powerless!

      On the gun Confiscation without due process. The NRA has put the kabosh on that!

      1. @Seymore Klearly, @Crazy elf, @91Veteran – IMO “The Shyster” Shithead Shitty Scandalous Scumbag Shulkin, Cashew Nut Give Me Da Bucks Per Hour Cashour, and U-Eat-Her Uranus Ullyot (what the hell kind of last name is that anyway, his last name would make me concerned, and cause my mind to have some suspicion about Johnny Boy right from the Gitmo, regardless of his background and resume), is that I’d fire all three (3) of them for improper behavior. Shulkin for charging personal expenses to the VA, plus Cashour, and Ullyot for undermining their direct superior, VA Secretary David Shulkin himself.

        No one should get a free ride no matter how much they know about the workings of the VA, or how much they know about their position, or what they done in the past. It just doesn’t send the right message in my mind.

        If this were the case of keeping everyone on board, then there’d be plenty other past VA employees that were terminated for wrong doings if they knew their past positions well, or done something fantastic for the VA. It surprises me that we’ve some that plays with Politics, and at the same time complain about the politicking when VA employees partake in such.

        I’m not getting played anymore, “I call for the direct termination of Shulkin, Cashour, and Ullyot.”

        And you know what, if Cashour and Ullyot were ordered to subvert Shulkins emails, or Press Releases, or any other documents or information without his approval, then whomever gave these two cronies that order(s) to do so, should be in question as well. And this is whether POTUS had anything to do with it or not, or anyone that might be related to Trump’s Administration.

        If you going to investigate someone, then investigate them. You don’t purposely cause unnecessary turmoil in the VA (or any other organization), when you already know (do to leads, articles, complaints, etc.), that improprieties are already occurring, and that the actions ordered by the powers-at-be, can possibly have a negative effect on the medical care of Veterans, and or their claims processing.

        I’m talking from a psychological point of view, one that affects the moral of the VA employees.

        Plus, this next two (2) points are hypothetical. Lets say that Shulkin is;

        (1.) What if Shulkin is kept on, and not terminated. The Dems can easily bring up what Shulkin did on the Euro Trip, plus say that the VA has been a mess, and that POTUS should’ve done more. A good argument in my book for the Dems.

        (2.) And what if Shulkin is terminated. And Cashour and Ullyot stay on board. What would that look like since most are saying now that these two cronies should have never undermined Shulkin. And still the VA is a mess, and this gives any Dem a good argument to bring up that the VA is still a mess.

        That’s why I say fire all three, remove the politics out of the VA (if that’s possible), and then REALLY implement strategies to clean up and fix the VA. And, the new strategies should be ones that can be monitored with specific guidelines, and timeframe . Something else that the VA fails at miserably, especially when the purpose for monitoring is to stop improper activities and behaviors.

  5. VA IG Findings Create A Serious Credibility Problem For Shulkin In Hacking Claims

    By Luke Rosiak
    Daily Caller News Organization
    6:53 PM 02/28/2018

    “Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin’s insinuation to Congress that the department had been hacked was not based in fact, the agency’s inspector general said Tuesday.

    The accusations raise serious questions about whether Shulkin attempted to mislead Congress by implying that an incriminating email attributed to his chief of staff might not be authentic because someone had stolen her identity.

    The only evidence of that, it turns out, consisted of an email from a comcast.net address sent hours before he made the assertion. Shulkin implied there was a longstanding pattern of someone convincingly impersonating chief of staff Vivica Simpson’s work email.

    “Given the ‘External’ markings and the comcast.net email domain, it is obvious from the face of the ‘Vivieca Wright Simpson’ email that it did not originate from the VA email system,” the IG wrote.”

    “The IG said VA’s information technology staff found “no evidence that Simpson’s actual VA email account was compromised during any period relevant to the Europe travel investigation or subsequently.”

    Simpson, who retired hours after the VA first called attention to the incriminating email, would not cooperate with the IG, but said that she had never said her email was hacked.

    Shulkin hired a private law firm and crisis PR firm to help him weather a major IG report faulting him for an extravagant trip to Europe and alleging he made false statements about it. It also claimed that Simpson falsified an email the government would pay for Shulkin’s wife to go on a trip to Europe.

    “Wright Simpson denied having sent the email with altered information, and showed Shulkin evidence that her email had been hacked and that someone had been sending emails in her name, [Shulkin] said,” Politico reported Feb. 14 — the day the report was released.

    The following day, he faced lawmakers over the report, and again mentioned hacking, suggesting Simpson had been framed.

    Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz told Shulkin that if that was true, the hacker should be prosecuted.

    “These allegations from the VA Secretary that the third senior-most official at VA may have been the target of criminals committing fraud and computer intrusion with the intention of harming her reputation, and that these criminal activities took place on VA computers and networks are very serious,” he wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

    Another committee member, Colorado Republican Rep. Mike Coffman, said when Walz offered to help punish the hacker, Shulkin didn’t have the expected reaction. “I looked at the secretary’s face, and he seemed surprised, like ‘uh-oh.’ But what else would you do?” he told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

    The following day, Shulkin acknowledged to TheDCNF that the only evidence of impersonation was limited to an occurrence the very day the IG report was released.

    “On Wednesday we became aware that Mrs. Simpson’s email was being impersonated by someone else. We have no evidence that that’s related to the IG report … that’s something we want to understand,” he said.

    But he still did not reveal that it was a fake personal email account. TheDCNF asked if Simpson might have sent the email herself to try to get out of trouble. “It’s not the way it was explained to me. It was explained that someone had taken over her email,” he said.”

    Full Article at: https://dailycaller.com/2018/02/28/ig-shulkin-hacking-claims/

    1. It seems very Clear that Shulkin is about to be let go. The longer he stays the worse it will be for Republicans this mid-term elections. Also all members of any senate or congressional committee connected to the VA are in trouble as long as Shulkin remains.

      1. Seymore, you may have to put your links in quotes again since this is the old commenting plugin Ben is using.

        Although the links show up, the email notifications that should come in when you post your comment are not coming in.

        Your first comment with a link in it did not show up, but your second comment without a link did show up.

    2. Shulkins a fucking liar. I clearly remember reading in one news article in which he was quoted where he said there was some suspicious things going on with her email over a period of time.

      Now that he’s been busted trying to cover his ass, he admits it was only this single occurrence.

    3. Seymore, never mind about putting links in quotes. For whatever reason, the email notifications came in put of order.

  6. My gut is telling me, and usually I’m not that off the mark, that due to all this bullshit, and many of us Vets are still suffering and hurting, all the while these kids (VA leadership), just keep playing in the highways and byways of the VA sandbox. Can’t you hear these spoil brats yelling and crying, “gib me dat, dats miine.”

    So, why don’t we ALL turn our focus to the Media Outlets or Social Media? We not only need a plan, but damn, we need to ALL agree on a strategy of who we’re going to direct our energies too. And, I’m getting tired of ALL the posting of our complaints. Why? Because since I’ve been on Ben’s blog, I’m not only in the same state, but its getting worse.

    Some have encouraged me to contact my Senator’s office, but with the extreme political prancing that has been going on, and knowing that our lazy Politicians are aware of the corruptions in the VA, then they should be doing something to fix the VA. I get tired of all the rework, tired of getting pissed off from reading how our Veterans colleagues are suffering.

    This is exactly what the VA wants us to do, is to work independently of one another. All this brings is more length of time, and it will only benefit one Vet at a time, whereas if we agree on a method where we all can band together and do something that has impact, then the chances of cleaning and fixing the VA are enhanced. I for one can’t keep on doing this; a post here, a post there, then a couple or a few posts because I’m all upset and frustrated.

    Do you folks see what I’m saying? I’m not asking you because I’m not sure that this is what is happening or not, because I DO KNOW that this is what is happening. And it’s futile and insane to continue in this direction. On a singular basis, I only see Victory for one, but if we band together, I see Victory for us all, and it’s done and over with, so that we can then go and tackle another issue.

    I can’t continue to do this anymore, it’s not getting anywhere but informing us, which information and knowledge is a good thing, but what the hell are we going to do with it? Quote this, quote that, complain here, complain there, because you know this, or because you know that?

    Anyway have any input on what I just wrote? Things have got to change, because unfortunately, this isn’t going to far in solving things. IMO, and still, but even more, SMH. Either shit or get off the pot. Speaking of pot, anyone got any extra sweet buds to share? I’m not kidding either, fuck the VA.

    1. And tell me that we can’t change things up, because the talent is right here on the board. Don’t cut yourself short. And we were taught better on how to get out of the muck. We’re wasting time.

      Remember my post above this one too. My future comments will reflect such. And, as the days pass by, as you’re reading, and then writing about the same shit, and that you’re NOT willing to change it up because things are basically the same (maybe a crumb here, a crumb there), then don’t expect anything new.

      What you can expect, and you see it almost every weekday, is what you’re seeing now, not much being accomplished.

      Don’t mean to be offensive Ben, but I’ve smelt BS for way to long now, and I expect more, and somehow, way, or another, I know its out there. BTW, are you on board? Do you have any suggestions on how this group can and should band together and to kick it up a notch?

  7. GOP lawmaker to Trump: Shulkin ‘lacks the moral authority’ to lead VA

    By Brandon Carter
    The Hill
    03/01/18 01:50 PM EST

    “Rep. Mike Coffman

    (R-Colo.) is renewing his calls for Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin

    to resign, saying Shulkin “lacks the moral authority” to lead the department.

    In a letter sent to President Trump

    Thursday, Coffman slammed Shulkin for his alleged “abuse of taxpayer’s funds and government resources” and called on Trump to “relieve Secretary Shulkin of his duties.”

    “I also request that you nominate as his replacement a true outsider to the VA’s bureaucracy,” wrote Coffman, who faces a tough reelection battle this November.

    The VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report last month that found Shulkin’s chief of staff doctored an email in an effort to cover up travel expenses racked up by Shulkin’s wife.”

    “Shulkin initially claimed that Wright Simpson’s email account had been hacked, but on Wednesday the OIG dismissed the suggestion that that breach had anything to do with the expense emails.

    “Based upon the facts provided in this OIG report, I believe that Secretary Shulkin clearly lacks the moral authority to lead the VA and the integrity expected of a member of your cabinet,” Coffman wrote to Trump.

    “When the leader of a department is seen as willing to violate or stretch the rules to personal advantage, the example set is unacceptable,” he continued. “Inevitably, employees throughout the VA will consider the example set by Secretary Shulkin as a ‘green light’ to avoid accountability, to take opportunities for personal enrichment, or other violations of laws, regulations, and their duties.”

    Coffman’s letter comes one day after reports that one of Shulkin’s own top aides has been lobbying lawmakers to get the VA chief fired.”

    Full Article at: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/376289-gop-lawmaker-to-trump-shulkin-lacks-the-moral-authority-to-lead-va

  8. Rise and Shine as a Concerned Marine i get on website call Helping Veterans Helping Veterans talked you belief.

  9. Rise and Shine as a Concerned Marine i sure believe that you don’t share your belief to Senators and Representative constantly no excuse you didn’t when a ememy try to kill you. Please Spread the word to your Friends and Veterans Friends get on the Veterans Helping Veterans.

  10. Isn’t going to change.
    And the President does nothing, regardless of knowing the words ” you’re fired”.
    Why the wait, with such compelling evidence? If this Crap doesn’t effect change NOW, then what will??

  11. Disabled no longer face big tax hit when student loans are forgiven
    by Matt Carter
    March 1, 2018

    “Military veterans and others who become permanently disabled while they’re still repaying federal student loan debt will no longer be hit with a tax bill when that debt is forgiven.

    That’s great news for any disabled borrowers who are granted loan forgiveness in the future. But what about anyone who needed help before Congress changed the rules in December?

    The bad news is that the change, part of a massive overhaul of the tax code spelled out by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, is not retroactive.

    Borrowers whose student loans are forgiven on or after Jan. 1, 2018, due to “total and permanent disability” no longer have to pay federal income taxes on those forgiven loans.”

    “But disabled borrowers who were granted loan forgiveness before that — like retired Army 1st. Lt. Will Milzarski, who was hit with a $70,000 tax bill after having $223,000 in undergraduate and law school debt forgiven — will still have to pay.”

    Full Article At: https://www.credible.com/news/student-loans/disabled-no-longer-face-big-tax-hit-student-loans-forgiven/

  12. The problem with insiders leaking is you have to wonder who’s agenda are they pushing by leaking or providing their “insider” information.

    Cashcow and Uidiot deserve to be fired if they were actively working against Shulkin, but were they doing things on someone’s orders? It doesn’t make it better, but it might explain why they are still taking up space and collecting paychecks.

    Shulkins trip was a stupid move. Many administration officials travel was being looked at, and Shulkin taking the trip when he did showed he was clueless as to the appearance of it being wrong. When the very first hint of it being questioned was raised, he should have immediately asked for a review, and immediately paid for any expenses that were questionable. That he did not shows he was arrogant as well as stupid.
    That he claimed email hacking without hard evidence was stupid.

    Cashcow and Uidiot claiming they were only informing the aide that there was no evidence of email hacking was also stupid, and a lame bullshit excuse. What expertise do either have on hacking? Or even email other than hitting the Send button?

    Out of this, where are the calls to investigate that hacking? Is it occurring? It shouldn’t have taken this long for investigators to show whether her email was hacked or not.

    As for Shulkin and whether the WH suports him, I thought he already publicly proclaimed the WH supported him, so why is there any question of it? Was it wishful thinking on his part?

    An infighting that is going on there is a reflection on his leadership, and the lack of it. Being a doctor is one thing. Being a CEO is another, but being a politician is different, and he needs to lead within that environment, but he is failing.

    I believe Trump did not want him in the first place. I believe the House and Senate VA committees pushed Shulkin on Trump, with the support of the VSO gravy train engineers. Trump is stuck with him, but Shulkins actions reflect on Trump, not on the committees or VSOs.

    I still think the committees want Shulkin regardless of what Trump wants. That is shown by Roe and Walz coming out and making bullshit excuses for Shulkins travel fraud. I think Isakson is still asleep since he hasn’t said much on this circus.

    Who is Shulkin working for? The committees? Or the man who appointed him? Same questions for Cashcow and Uidiot. Are they working for Shulkin? The WH? Or certain cronies on committees?

    Regardless, I think this is a massive distraction from the VA getting cleaned up. I only wish leaders would make final decisions on which direction this grab ass circus is going.

  13. Ullyot being a traitor ringknocker to his fellow Veterans in a time of active war *should* make him be in line for a firing squad…but with seasoned former enlisted Vets on the firing squad, because we surely would not want any ringknockers to get any gunpowder residue on their rings, plus am betting on former enlisted vets being much better shots.

    Are there not special crimes that if they occur during an active war the USA is engaged with, that are considered even more egregious because it’s a disruption of the meatgrinder?

    Ullyot is a bad former Marine and a disgrace to all that have served, even ringknockers. Rat Bastard!

    1. namnibor and all on here!
      They’re ALL crooked ASSHOLES; from “Shyster Shithead Shulkin” all the way down the administration side of the VA!

      The VA should be shut down completely!

      Here’s another article out from:
      “military.com” via “Stars and Stripes”
      By: Nikki Wentling
      Dated: 28 Feb 2018
      Titled:
      “IG Finds No Evidence of Email Hacking Related to Travel Scandal”

      Which tells me Shulkin’s European Vacation, NOT to be confused with “National Lampoon’s European Vacation”, is just another slap in the face of veterans and taxpayers!
      $122+ thousand dollars down the proverbial drain. All so Shulkin can sell out veterans on the A.I. bullshit!
      Shulkin, as all of the upper crust at VA, is out for themselves – financially speaking of course!
      How rich do these reprobates want to be, is the question? And, at what expense – how many veterans have to die before someone gets a handle on ALL the criminal activities by VA’s upper crust?

      1. That ‘upper crust’ you speak of is like a crusty overused depends adult diaper floating on surface tension of the swamp.

        The VAOIG only sees what they want or are ordered to see with their cataract plagued personal bias vision.

      2. Elf to answer your question “How rich do these reprobates want to be, is the question?”

        The answer is rich enough to be able to hire the legal team that will keep them out of prison.

  14. A really good Opinion piece published in the Los Angeles Times yesterday on Shulkin’s European Vacation and how he would have been fired by any other administration. The Opinion is written by Walter Shaub the former Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics. He was the Director from January 9th, 2013 until July 19, 2017 when he resigned. He was hired as the senior director for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington prior to his resignation and began work July 20,2017.

    Shaub’s stated purpose at the CLC is to focus on protecting what he calls the erosion of democratic norms that the country has witnessed under the administration of President Donald Trump. Clearly Shaub is a never Trumper.

    But Shaub’s opinion piece has much merit. In his opinion he presents a timeline based on the facts proven in the VAOIG report and what has been said by the media, as presented by Shulkin. One thing that he makes clear is that Shulkin has thrown Cashcow under the bus in the media prior to what is currently being discussed here. Also, that there was a proven quid pro quo for the Wimbledon tickets.

    Several Highlights from the article:

    “* On the day they attended the tournament, emails indicate that the woman asked Shulkin for help getting into a veterans event scheduled for the following week. She and Shulkin say he didn’t help her. But three days after the woman requested his help, one of the event’s planners sent an email that reads: “Secretary Shulkin may wish to be aware that [the woman] will attend the conference on [Wednesday and Thursday] morning.””

    “* The next day, as the first news story related to the trip expenses was about to be published, Shulkin’s press secretary released a statement that all activities associated with the trip “including Wimbledon” were approved by the ethics office. When ethics officials objected that the statement was untrue, the press secretary told them Shulkin was responsible for its contents; Shulkin later told investigators he didn’t recall telling the press secretary what to say.”

    A Great Opinion piece well worth reading.

    “In any other presidency, our ‘insufficiently accurate’ secretary of Veterans Affairs would be gone”
    By Walter Shaub
    Los Angeles Times
    Feb 28, 2018 | 4:05 AM

    At: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-shaub-va-secretary-shulkin-travel-scandal-20180228-story.html

    1. Good article Seymore.

      2 things. In all the reporting on this issue, they describe the cost of the trip as being $122,000 plus or minus. They rarely include the other staff that tagged along acting as his entourage, and what they were paid in salary. If that cost were added in, the cost of the trip would be a damn sight more than $122K.

      Why is that important? Its important because of what the IG said in his report. That the IG could not determine any value in Shulkins trip.

      If there was no benefit to the government, veterans or taxpayers in Shulkin going on this trip, then the entire cost of the trip, including salaries and overtime should be counted, not just travel expenses.

      If there was no value in the trip, why is this any different than a VA employee hanging out at a strip club all day?

      1. There were tennis balls involved in the story…maybe code for strip club? 😀

    2. Seymore,
      I just had my wife put the articles you reference on the “www”!
      Hopefully they’ll go viral.

  15. It’s bad enough when veterans are done in by by a political bureaucracy hell bent on its own salvation and not the best interests of the veterans they are supposed to be looking out for. But when one of them, is one of you, that just verifies no one is safe from the bureaucracy that is the VA.

  16. I very honestly could care less who is and who is not Sec VA. It makes zero difference. Back stabbing, infighting, deception, and malfeasance have stretched back for decades and there aint nobody that is going to stop it. It has been tried over, and over, and over again and maimed vets, unpaid claims, and lies to cover it all up from the utter and total incompetent morase that it has become means that no one person irregardless of rank or position will stop it. It is like trying to pick up a pile of slime with your bare hands… most just slides on through your grip.

    VA is a racket pure and simple and the fix is in. It does not matter whose knife is left in whose back and who wins the day come elections at all because the organization knows full well how to chew em up and spit them out and their willingness to turn on their own is simply reflected in todays blog but is a core value at VA – retaliation against patients, doctors, and leadership is simply the cost of doing business as a nation with VA.

    Same shit, different day and the swamp at low tide still smells like septic overflow.

    1. Agreed, regardless if who they put as head of the VA, the mission is to “Delay, deny, until veterans die”.

      I could care less if they do whatever to Shulkin. When the VA got rid of me, they recruited and/or pressured others to flat out lie about me. They violated my rights to a fair and impartial investigation/procedure…and, now I’m here trying to defend my career and reputation.

      The low that the VA stooped to would make any person think I’m some nut who believes in conspiracy theories and tin foiled hats…but they get that ridiculous in coming after you so that no one will believe you.

      So, sorry (not sorry)…they can do whatever to Shulkin and I wouldn’t flinch.

    2. I think it’s all a damn game while we lose and suffer due to all the BS and distractions. For years it’s been ‘same shit different day,” maybe with some new faces in the game. But their rules, bad ethics, dis concern, and phony conduct never change.

      They can all get up there like Congress, wrestlers, local politicians, VA pro staffers and union folks, and others pretending to hate each other or having this great division among them but it doesn’t stop them from partying, hiring hookers, private islands for sex with kiddies, gated mansion parties, 3 mile high club counts, taking trips with each other and other fun stuff they do out of public sight. Or like civilian care here I am dealing with, they all go on the defensive to defend each other and their work-place. Put the crazy shit on us, forcing us to go through things a normal mind can’t comprehend what some of these psychos, highly educated and trained types are doing to us and others. Then we try to explain all the crazy shit to others and they look at us like we have three eyes and a forked tongue. Surely those kind caring educated folks wouldn’t do or act that way! Especially those gods in politics, media, or health care systems.

      Unions, activist, the old SDS communist college kiddies, military, use the same tactics. Psy-ops, confusion, distractions, etc. From tapping pencils on top of desks during a meeting or females wearing distractive clothes or putting on the eye-charm. Unions and commies had those ‘Alice in Wonderland,” or “Democracy” pamphlets that used to tell us, (or as jr high school kids to help brain-wash us) what to do and how to do it to confuse or distract non-union members, (or company men to mess with their minds) to get them to go pro-union or anti-American, whatever. Play bait and switch. Just like the VA uses their nonsense and insane talks that no-one in their right minds could tolerate without challenging their crap or what they are saying, or demanding of us.

      Whatever, the freaks at the top will still walk away with big retirements, big money and perks. Nepotism for the family and friends. Maybe get out of jail free cards for life. I am finding out civilian care is just like VA care in many ways. They also do a lot of covering up for the VA and others in their “professions.” And they don’t care who gets harmed, tormented, suffers, or dies along the way. Hell, that’s been the Indiana way long before I was born and worsened to the point we are all at now.

      1. I agree with you and Shulkin on this one too…

        All of this is another distraction so they can distract us from the fact that they are still robbing us blind.

    3. Yup. It does not matter, regardless of red or blue hues. To the Beltway Bunch, the VA is a dirty war garbage disposal. Guess who’s the garbage – to them. The folks who work there know it and cling to their union for protection when they realize “getting theirs” is more important than us getting what’s promised. Their “get” is predetermined. Ours is determinate and variable, and requires dancing if not begging.

      I shall forever repeat, “Anyone parent who has a say in, or otherwise allows their kid(s) to join this country’s armed forces, needs to be flogged.”

      Don’t Do It Kid

  17. How about we airdrop this duo right in the armpit of Syria or Afghanistan and Ullyot can try to use his magical ringknocker powers to try to convince the friendly locals not to show any aggression and Cashcow can use his magical bullshitting powers to try to negotiate a more pleasing death with same locals?

    These two are NOT helping Veterans and are only serving the VA Meatgrinder to hide fraud, corruption, and killing of Veterans through indifference and spreading the daily VA Poo into a smooth frosted cake format.

    Sec. Shulkin: IF you DO NOT START FIRING ASSHOLES, it kind of makes you seem like an ass(hint, hint).

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