Counterintelligence Jim Byrne

Former Lockheed Counterintelligence Attorney Jim Byrne Now Acting Deputy Secretary

VA general counsel Jim Byrne, the lead counterintelligence attorney hired from Lockheed Martin, was just named acting deputy secretary of the agency.

Byrne was selected to serve as the lead attorney at VA one year ago. His selection came days before his nonprofit, Give an Hour, signed an alliance deal with the University of Phoenix. Two weeks after he started as general counsel, VA tried to push for legislation that would allow certain VA employees to profit from a relationship with for-profit universities.

While at Lockheed, Byrne worked under former FBI director James Comey for five years. When he was hired into the top attorney slot at VA, many insiders had no clue of his hire much less his credentials.

VA Press Release On Jim Byrne Promotion

Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that its General Counsel, Jim Byrne, has been named Acting Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs effective Aug. 28. 

Byrne was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 9, 2017, as the General Counsel for the department. 

Prior to joining VA, Byrne served in Lockheed Martin Corp.’s legal department as the Chief Privacy Officer and lead information technology, cyber security and counterintelligence attorney. 

He served as the Deputy Special Counsel with the Office of the United States Special Counsel, a career Senior Executive Service position, as well as both General Counsel and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. 

Byrne has over 20 years of experience in the public sector, also including service as a deployed U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, and a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) international narcotics prosecutor. 

Before joining VA, Byrne volunteered for 10 years on the Executive Board of Give an Hour, a nonprofit organization that has developed national networks of volunteer professionals capable of providing complimentary and confidential mental health services to post-9/11 Veterans, service members and their families. 

Byrne is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he received an engineering degree and ultimately held the top leadership position of Brigade Commander. He earned his juris doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida, and started his legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Malcolm J. Howard, on the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina. 

Similar Posts

33 Comments

  1. General Counsel for the VA is corrupt. I have been fighting 29 years and finally got a hearing in RO whereas the Traveling board Judge finally addressed my argument on evidence and Alabama Supreme Court ruling and he stated the Board misstated the law that I was correct I was the widow at the death of the veteran but denied me DIC and refused to apply the correct VA law the exception of the rule of separation for I was an abused widow and the VA still will not address the abuse and give me my benefits. They have violated their own procedures and rules and ignore the VA law. I mailed a certified return receipt to addressee only: Secretary of Veterans Affairs and marked the envelop “Equitable Relief” the Secretary must get this envelop for it if his jurisdiction only but his employees did not give this envelop to him and sent it to the BVA Chairman who did not read the evidence I submitted which was a Board case on another veteran stating conclusion the Board has no jurisdiction to grant or deny equitable relief under 2.7 or 503. Yet the Chairman denied my claim under 2.7. I also sent a CAVC Ruling stating the Board did not have jurisdiction to rule on any equitable relief claim because the Secretary has not delegated this duty. I am grandfathered into USC 503 and I can not get any VA employee at RO or Board to submit my claim to the Secretary. This is against the law. Does anyone know how I can get this to the Secretary. My local Congressman’s aide tells me they can not contact the Secretary for it would violate the ethics law and only Congress is under ethics law for I ask him how could the RO place incorrect information on the VACOLS and give the Board illegal jurisdiction and the Board ruled with illegal jurisdiction and there is a CAVC Court Order that states Winsett is correct the Board ruled before the mandate. The Board did not have jurisdiction to rule and this decision should be invalid but the VA will not address this jurisdiction problem. They have violated my due process rights and not given me my appeal rights. General Counsel has lied in briefs filed at CAVC and Federal Circuit and I have documentation to prove everything I have stated and even more violations. I have proven I meet the qualification for exceptions to the rule on separation not being my fault and abuse and I did not desert the veteran and the Board refuses to address. So how in the world do you get in contact with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs?

  2. 08/31/2018

    Dear Seymore Klearly.

    You had asked,”IS the VHA still proudly torturing ill veteran patients like they did decades ago in Tuskeegee?’

    Since the Acting VA Secretary Peter O’Rourke’s testimony on 07/17/2018—“nothing has changed since 2014” to now—answering Rep. Higgins’ question.

    All indicators point into the direction that the VA in doing more than just torturing ill veterans [what about abusing their spouses, their families, their communities, the medical profession, etc…].

    Not a fan of Lockheed, or James Comey {Former counsel of Lockheed/and the former FBI Director}—Nor, am I a fan of those who are going to protect what had happened not reaching the Public.

    Do not forget what Comey’s VA Gifts under the Christmas Tree accomplished. It will not be a good year for the Whistleblowers. Any questions —review the Departmart of Forestry segment aired today on Dateline.

    One must ask in today’s heated Cyber Wars “VA general counsel Jim Byrne, the lead counterintelligence attorney hired from Lockheed Martin [former boss was James Comey at the firm], was just named acting deputy secretary of the agency”; Why another Lockheed attorney and why at the VA over the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller is working on for 15 months [Election/Russians/Trump/Clintons/etc…]?

    Is this not “over kill?”

    Sincerely,

    Don Karg’
    09/01/2018 starts the 53rd Book or 53 months since the scandal broke in Phoenix corrective actions are still not taking hold.

  3. “Some Recently Fired VA Employees May Soon Be Reinstated With Back Pay”
    By Eric Katz, Government Excutive, August 31, 2018 2:13 PM ET

    “The Veterans Affairs Department may soon have to reinstate many of the employees it fired over the last year, following a ruling from a third-party arbitrator that said the agency has violated a collective bargaining agreement in enforcing one of the key reforms signed into law by President Trump.

    The ruling, if upheld, would impact employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees who faced adverse action under the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. Trump, VA and lawmakers in both parties have heralded the law as a significant step in cracking down on malfeasant and poorly performing employees, but its enforcement has been mired in controversy since its passage.

    AFGE brought the case for mediation after VA issued a series of memoranda that said VA was no longer required to give employees 90 days to improve and performance improvement plans would not be used. The union said that violated specific clauses in its collective bargaining agreement requiring those steps for employees identified for poor performance.”

    Full Article At: “https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2018/08/some-recently-fired-va-employees-may-soon-be-reinstated-back-pay/150955”

    ___________________

    Nope Never Gonna Happen
    “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzZP4hKZjDg”

    1. Nothing more than political push back by the commies. Hope they starve.

  4. I’m almost done completing intake for a nationally accredited law practice that deals specifically with VA benefits amongst other things. We’ll see where things go from here. If they are able to assist me then I will name drop.

    I actually had to call the Chillicothe VA because the ebenefits website was so broken that when you input your social it typed it backwards and excluded the spaces. Very fucking aggravating. I had to confirm what my individual ratings are because I just had a reduction in one.

    So, this VA suckhead fuckface rat bastard of a son of a bitch proceeds to lie about my rating saying one of them was at the previous higher percentage. I chuckled remaining professional and courteous but said that’s impossible, it was just reduced.

    This poor garbage man proceeded to lose his shit over the phone, screaming and cussing at me. I’ll never call them again without a recording device, that’s for Damn sure. Every VA employee should be hung. Nobody who works there is a good person.

    It’s a black hole of corruption, swamp creatures, skull and knuckle thuggery and I hope to be suing the ever loving shit out of their bonuses and Tahiti vacation fund soon. I get the notion that this law office I am working with are sharks out for blood.

    They better do something or I will have no choice but to take care of business. %20 will gladly be theirs.

    If you work for the VA and read this go pound sand into fine glass you fucking reptilian communist garbage human undeserving of other creatures oxygen. Unworthy of life worms and cowards the lot of you.

    Blow me and kiss my ass. If I get my day in court you ain’t getting no bonuses or vacation and my man #45 president Donald J Trump said fuck yo federal pay raise bitch!

  5. WAAAAAYY off topic; I got a message from John McCain last night. Quote; “WOULD YOU PEOPLE PLEASE BURY MY ASS SO I CAN MOVE ON! I’M TIRED OF BEING SOME KIND OF TRAVELING ZOO SIDE SHOW! OH YEAH. ARETHA SAID “DITTO”.

  6. What is so rotten is the miracle that so many VA employees come forward with all these complaints only after their ass was on the line. All these wonderful angels dropped from heaven to help mankind, but missed and landed on the roofs of VA hospitals. They get into trouble, demoted or fired and all of the sudden, they report years of abuse that veterans endured for no reason. Go into so much detail of abuse, but not enough information to report and let abuse happen every single day for 10yrs until they get canned. Almost the exact story from all these POS people. Abuse is considered a form of treatment as long as these under achievers get paid, promoted and part of the inner circles that laugh at veterans knowing that their care is horrendous at best. Only in America can someone get fired, report abuse and neglect that went on years and then have the audacity to claim they now are whistleblowers. Not reporting anything for all their time there, interviews for TV, two steps from sainthood and now have in one hand a check for wrongful termination and in the other hand a check for whistleblowing. Combined the 2 checks able them to buy a dream home in Hawaii with a staff of 6. It’s not comical as tears start to run down my face from reading the links to the stories that show so much abuse and what I continue letting them stuff lawn furniture up my ass every visit. There’s nothing anyone can do, report anything to any agency and all it does is give them time to correct anything that might them look bad. I thought I had them good, after any visit for anything I’d take a screenshot with my iPad. Set up with “the cloud” any screenshot taken would automatically get sent to my Mac and I would have all the information to stick that furniture up their ass. The day finally came and it only showed what a ignorant piece of shit I am. What I didn’t know if your settings for your “cloud” are not set up the way you want, you lose. When my memory was getting full on my iPad, I deleted everything I didn’t need, which included all the screenshots of my VA records because they were on my Mac. So I found out the hard way, if I deleted something on my iPad it also deleted it on my Mac. Thinking I was smart only to find I was an idiot. Since last September when my entire life crashed, I can count how many times I left my bed except to use the bathroom. So just waiting for my time to come.

    1. Hang in there battle. The only way right now is to retain legal help. Lawsuits hit them where they hurt the most: their bullshit raises and faggot ass vacations in the sun. Chin down, eyes open and keep that powder dry battle!

  7. I wonder if Lockheed is gearing up for a major IT contract now.

    USA Jobs just posted today advertisements to hire more than 70 IT people at VAs across the country, and could be many more.

    They posted a huge number for GS7-11 for IT Customer Support, and the same number at many of the same locations for GS 12 IT specialist.

    Now, it could be both advertisements are for the same job. Posting job advertisements at the GS7-11 level would mean veterans can apply under that advertisement, but VA managers can hire off the GS12 advertisement some crony and ignore the veterans panel. VA can claim they look good for hiring veterans because they advertised to hire them, but will hire non-veterans from the other advertisement.

    …unless a veteran qualifies as GS12…but they likely have caveats to ignore veterans preference on those advertisements anyway.

  8. Off-Topic as Burns My Asshole News: “Couple ordered to turn over money they raised for homeless veteran”

    “https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/couple-ordered-to-turn-over-money-they-raised-for-homeless-veteran/ar-BBMG6Hq?ocid=ientp”

    Seems we Veterans are the key golden turd ticket to be dipping in the Veteran Cookie Jar by the common jackass Americans as well as the jackasses on stairmasters in congressional gym?!

    This has been Namnibor with, Burns My Asshole News…until next time!

  9. Per article. Can’t see well yet again but I’ll wing it.

    “Counterintelligence.”
    “SES.” Again.
    University ‘relationships.’
    “Top attorney slot at the VA?”
    “Lockheed Martin?”

    Well crap what about other obligations or loyalties? The SES cliques, Greek societies, Masons, country clubs, etc? All I keep noticing is… ‘insiders and connections.’ Deep state and shadow governing crap as usual. Had enough of suits, alphabet soup types, lofty credentials we serfs are supposed to kneel too and suck up to or have hope in. Blah blah.

    Personally I don’t give a damn about “credentials” or alphabet soup types. Yes we are supposed to bow and start kissing feet and rings of such noble people any system from the top down throws at us. Just like my home town. Bow, kiss the college asses, the lying experts, the over educated idiots and brain-washed in academia and science worlds, and the connected or else. They all know our needs and minds and must protect us all from our selves. They know it all, have all the easy answers, and feel they are better than us down here. Typical generational BS. While playing their musical chair games and allowing the powers that be to throw many of us under the bus using their legal system and agencies, media, to help see it done. To keep things the same just using different faces and facade.

    I don’t see any of them above reaching out to those who may have some scum by the nuts and can easily prove some things. No, they ignore, deny, play games, change seats, do the DC crap and steak dinners they all do so well. Wait for time limits or statute of limitations… or retirement to save some in their cliques asses and ‘professions.’

  10. Hey, Seymore, check this shit out. I gotta suspicion the AFGE is gonna be shitting bricks!

    Titled:
    “Cuomo throws colossal fit over proposed halt of federal worker pay raises: ‘That is B.S. OK?’”
    August 31, 2018 | Tom Tillison

    Google the rest of this, to see what “CUOMO the HOMO” had to say!

  11. At least they are hiring Vets into the top echelon with actual deployment experience vs. the screw-up move-up crowd with no military background at all!

    1. Joe,

      Which is worse hiring the screw-up move-up crowd with no military background at all or the Counterintelligence Vet who’s is experienced and trained to keep secrets and put out propaganda while in the service?

    2. Joe,
      Seymore stated exactly what I was going to say!
      We’ve seen this bullshit time and time again. Vets who did their best at covering up what is really going on at the VA!

      And, namnibor is 110% correct in saying that “Micky Mouse is still fucking Goofy!”

  12. @ Seymore Klearly, and anybody that knows an answer!

    “An investigation by the IG found that over 70% of the Veterans involved in the research were not informed and not eligible to participate in the research due to the high expectation of serious harm to the Veterans.” That begs the question… How does one find out if they have been subjected to long term or any research project with or without the patients consent. Could this be the reason behind some patients suffering from “non-diagnosis” and refusal of medical services regarding very treatable conditions?

    IS the VHA still proudly torturing ill veteran patients like they did decades ago in Tuskeegee?
    For the benefit of those unfamiliar, here is a link to the movie about this stain on VHA care.
    “https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119679/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_64”.

    1. Rosie,

      The simple answer is yes to your question; “Could this be the reason behind some patients suffering from “non-diagnosis” and refusal of medical services regarding very treatable conditions?”

      My answer is based upon my own personal experience with VHA. It is one of the primary reasons.

      Several additional reasons Veterans who are VHA patients suffering from “non-diagnosis” and refusal of medical services regarding very treatable conditions are;

      Lack of insurance, and factors such as illnesses, age, sex, race and other factors which prevent a Veteran from being used in profitable research. If a Veteran is diagnosis with a medical condition they are then forced to treat the Veteran and the doctors employed at the VA are almost all researchers they do not want to work with Veterans who are unprofitable for them or who’s results might kill their studies.

      On your other question; “How does one find out if they have been subjected to long term or any research project with or without the patients consent?”

      The simple answer is if you are receiving any care from the VHA you are a research subject. When the VA relied solely on paper files they maintained two sets of medical records. The first you could get access to the second is your research file which is classified you are never allowed access to.

      1. A recent article in ProPublica glances at how and why some Veterans are refused care and go diagnosed. It also takes a look at several other issues involving the Research aspect of VHA.

        The Article is titled:

        “Steve Cohen Is Spending Millions to Help Veterans. Why Are People Angry?”

        The hedge fund billionaire’s efforts to assist veterans with PTSD have thrust him into the fight over privatizing the VA and led some people to question his motives.

        by Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica, Aug. 3, 2018

        “https://www.propublica.org/article/steve-cohen-privatized-ptsd-veterans-clinic”

    2. We are all test subjects, lab rats, guinea pigs, petri dishes wrapped in living tissue. May even end up as case studies, one of countless “statistics,” or reports in medical journals, class room discussions, training dummies (like crash dummies) etc. Ahem… physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, sexually, reactions, responses to stimuli, thought processes, every aspect. Then if that’s not enough shared with only God knows who down the line of all these modern ‘back-ground,’ or required investigations for meds or get health care somehow. From “the top,” down. Nice huh? Hell, by using blood tests they can tell if a person has ejaculated (somehow) days before testing or interrogation appointments asking stupid questions. There are other things they test for besides drug abuse or booze. Oh but to hell with some reality let the games and circus continue. Musical chairs up there too.

      On top of that. Nothing like being asked after trying to escape the VA system and retaliations being asked if I was part of any VA or government testing. (?!) My reply was… ‘not that I am aware of.’ ‘Other than possibly being tested for how much stress, crap, lies, corruption and abuse I could take from them. Then getting lost in more health care systems. And getting more crap. The testing must continue on. Then to encounter a clinic handing out a paper stating that somethings in our files may not or is not considered part of our files we have access to and only for inner-office or MD use only… which is privileged information. Just part of the ignorant medical contracts we are supposed to sign and approve of in some places or states.

      Hope you are reading all my stuff “D” and all you other idiot trolls, professional activist/agents/victims and union scum/medical association thugs.

      I keep encountering vets who have had no change in their pain meds or treatments whatsoever. While some of us just had our names, so many per alphabet picked out of a hat to just drop, abuse, threaten, to appease the new prescription cuts to appease LEOs, VA, Congress, Prosecutors, scum sucking politicians, etc. Or to sign totally insane new contracts along with the drug use policies. Done also in the civy sector too. I’ll cease it there but elite and connected seem to get whatever they want… not really need. But why are so many vets treated so differently by the same clinics or in the system?? Also odd is how any abuse or mistreatment is NOT to be found in our files. Nothing that may incriminate or prove us right about VA staff is to be found. No mention of them “ordering” or demanding we sign contracts that would “allow the VA to “force us” to take antidepressants or head meds to continue chronic pain care with them. Or “ordering” us, the select, to never use civy care or our so-called “Choice Card” again even in life or death emergencies?

      I’m with Elf and others. Cease the VA or give those who must love it the choice to stay and others full access and free care to the civy sector, period. And get the DHS, DoD, SES, LEOs and others the hell out of our health care.

      1. I am flattered you are wondering whether I am reading your posts, “T”. Indeed I do and am always entertained. Don’t get me wrong, I give a certain amount of credence to many of your observations as well as sympathy to your mistreatment by the VA. I just think you weaken your effectiveness when you blame everyone including “professional activist/agents/victims and union scum/medical association thugs”. Tends to detract from the purpose of this blog.

      2. Well D. First off I don’t have to wonder who or what kind of people, or my/the/our enemies read my post, or play troll on people out here. It’s everywhere.

        Point 2. I don’t see, read or feel any vibes of you caring about others or having sympathy for much. Let alone any empathy.

        Three. Why are you concerned about my “effectiveness?” No skin off your back especially since coming from the P-nut gallery and seemingly outside looking in on some issues plus being clueless about some other’s realities of life or experiences.

        Four. Which camp do you fall in? Union, activist, professional whatever, thug, Mason, scum-bag, pro-activist, VS-org member with V caps, paid activist, SES, agent provocateur, etc. As said before I will tend to hit everything and everyone, the evil ones, with a broad brush. If the shoe fits wear it. If not pass it over, Hits a nerve to create a activist like knee-jerk reaction, bruise a super ego, offend a narcissist. Not my problem or concern. They, you, know who you are and what you, they, are about. Since “professional courtesies” seem to also cover a very wide stroke of any brush to cover-up a multitude of evils, protect those types of people on many stages or statuses in life, abuse, law breaking, cover-ups, threats, black-balling others, et al, then I reckon I can play the same game only with my brush and writ. So far on any level state, fed, local.. ALL are guilty as hell and corrupt as hell. Let the ones that are NOT guilty or a tad bit ethical and truthful and well meaning…step forward and stand up, be known and counted. If not… you know what I can say about that.

        As far as the “blog.” If I was out of line I would think others and Ben would put me in my place and inform me. Who are you to tell someone what just ‘detracts’ from any purpose since it is about “Disabled Veterans,” VA news, of interest to ALL vets, and Ben a Journalist with his own specialties. Not to forget… you are the one playing anonymous on a board while I having gone totally public and then some. You and those like you hide and troll, and don’t offer up your own stories if any at all to share or situations. So you must be on easy street. YOU like many others seem more concerned about wanting to control the narratives, stories, personal experiences of others. Or totally want to see us “whiners” silenced… for good regardless of how just silenced. Wanna play games or chess?

  13. I’m hoping that since they got out the hefty deckchair bolts for this new game-piece on V.A.Titanic WHack-A-Mole shuffleboard (WHAM), the VA General Counsel will improve but that would again be the definition of insanity expecting a wonderful outcome after having urinal water poured on me again and again instead…and they are playing shuffleboard with those urinal cakes on the V.A.Titanic’s poop deck….so this wait and see thing has become very asinine waiting for the asses.

    Labor Day weekend: keep ears and eyes peeled for opportune time for the VA to dump a major dump knowing it will be buried in holiday news and McCain’s funeral….wait for it…

    1. Namnibor,

      Your wordage always bring a smile during the first few rounds of coffee every mourning. Hope things are going well with the move.

      Here is one of the truds from the river of sh%& that flows from the butt end of the VA Titanic this upcoming Labor Day Weekend.

      “Intraoperative Radiofrequency Ablation and Other Surgical Service Concerns, Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany, New York”
      VAOIG Report Number: 17-01770-188

      “The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection regarding allegations that the Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center’s peer review processes did not follow Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy; the surgeon performed intraoperative radiofrequency ablation (IORFA) surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma and “completely missed” tumors in patients; a surgeon told a patient there was a recurrence of a tumor although it was “completely missed” during IORFA surgery; the surgeon performed cancer surgery on patients who did not have cancer; and adverse events occurred during and after the surgeon’s other cancer surgeries.

      The OIG substantiated the facility’s peer review process did not follow VHA policy, and the facility did not meet credentialing and privileging requirements.”

      Summary At: “https://www.va.gov/oig/publications/report-summary.asp?id=4550”
      Full Report At: “https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-17-01770-188.pdf”

      ______________

      1. Seymore,
        Yep, namnibor always gives me a good laugh early in the morning as well.

        When is it going to be reported about the upper echelon of VA being arrested for not following the laws? That’s what I believe most want to know!

      2. Here is another recent article on the V.A.Titanic WHack-A-Mole shuffleboard (WHAM) players that have been moving through Stratton VAMC.

        ______________

        “Capital Region doctor accused of unlawfully distributing controlled substances”
        by Emily DeFeciani, Thursday, July 19th 2018

        “On the organization’s website, Morris’ bio reads that he previously served at the Stratton VA Medical Center, Samaritan Hospital in Troy, and Four Winds in Saratoga.

        The 61-year-old psychiatrist specializes in addiction recovery.

        According to a criminal complaint, Morris dispensed Xanax, Adderall, and Suboxone to at least one patient in exchange for sex.”

        “Morris is also accused of writing prescriptions for people he never treated.”

        Full Article At: “https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/clifton-park-doctor-accused-of-exchanging-medication-for-sex”

      3. To bad they cannot go back and ask some of his former patients at the Stratton VAMC what kind of psyh he was. Well any way here is another blast from the past on the care he was providing while there.

        “VA, police probe veteran’s death”
        By Dennis Yusko and J.p. Lawrence Updated 8:07 am EST, Friday, December 4, 2015

        “The military veteran who fell to his death at the Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Hospital was an enigmatic ex-Marine who had been discharged from the hospital’s psychiatric unit 90 minutes earlier, according to city police and those who knew him.

        Stewart A. Mosher, 34, appeared to have jumped from the top level of the parking garage on the VA campus just after noon on Nov. 27, according to a police report obtained by the Times Union. Five people, including a VA employee and a nurse from Albany Medical Center Hospital, witnessed Mosher hit the pavement in front of 67 Veterans Way, police said.

        Mosher lived in Selkirk and joined the Marine Corps right after graduating from New Lebanon Junior-Senior High School in 2000. Four years later, he was discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder, which he self-medicated with “entheogens,” or psychoactive drugs, he wrote on his Facebook page.

        Emergency responders were called to the VA around 12:10 p.m. last Friday and found Mosher unconscious and unresponsive, according to police.”

        Full Article At: “https://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/VA-police-probe-veteran-s-death-6674537.php”

        __________________

        I see the current director at the VMAC has made it past the 30 day mark without transferring or retiring. That is odd for Strantton given the very high turnover there.

        With the VAMCs overall history and the 3 known serial killers that have worked there which were arrested and convicted as serial killingers. How do they ever get Veterans to walk in the front door?

        Two of those serial killers from Stratton VAMC really stand out when you consider the VAOIG report I mentioned about.

        Those two that stand out are Dr. James Holland and Paul Kornak at Stratton VA Medical Center where Dr. Holland was head of the Oncology Department and Paul Kornak was the Research Coordinator for all research studies at the VAMC. On average they collected $5,000 per Veteran they could sign up for research studies completed at the Stratton VAMC via payments to their non-profit named the Stratton VA Medical Center research foundation.

        They knowingly assigned Veterans to research studies even though they knew the Veterans would die as a result of the research. An investigation by the IG found that over 70% of the Veterans involved in the research were not informed and not eligible to participate in the research due to the high expectation of serious harm to the Veterans. Only one of the hundreds of deaths that was caused by the research was ever investigated. The investigation was paid for by the wife of one of the victims of their research. Numerous whistle Blowers who reported the high number of deaths were fired prior to the investigation. As a result, they were investigated by the FBIs White collar crime division and after a grand jury issued a 48-count indictment they plead guilty to 3 charges and only received 7- year sentences.

        _____________

        So to state it clearly the Stratton VAMC seems to be up to their old tricks to make money in the Veterans cancer business again.

        __________

        Sources for Dr. James Holland & Paul Kronak:

        “Abuses Endangered Veterans in Cancer Drug Experiments”
        By DEBORAH SONTAG, New York Times, FEB. 6, 2005
        “https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/nyregion/abuses-endangered-veterans-in-cancer-drug-experiments.html”

        Blowing the Whistle: A Pharmacist’s Vexing Experience Unraveled
        Jeffrey Fudin
        Disclosures |Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006;63(22):2262-2265.
        “https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/548036”

        Lyons, B. J. (2007, Dec 09). Court papers detail dark chapter at VA. Times Union
        “The federal court documents, which include confidential investigative reports never made public, indicate that about 70 percent of Stratton’s former cancer research patients were victimized in the scandal” “At a hearing scheduled for Monday, the government’s attorneys are expected to argue for a dismissal of the class action lawsuit on the grounds there is no proof the experimental drugs caused more than one death.”

  14. Veterans under fire by the FAA for VA Disabilities.

    “2 Bay Area pilots indicted on charges of lying on medical forms”

    By: Julia Cheever, Fox 2 KTVU, Aug 29 2018 09:50PM

    “SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Four pilots, including two from the Bay Area, have been indicted by a U.S. grand jury in San Francisco on charges of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration about their medical conditions.

    They were charged in four separate indictments issued on Aug. 23 with denying on FAA medical forms that they had certain conditions, while receiving disability payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the conditions they had denied.

    Three are accused of hiding mental health conditions for which they were receiving veterans’ disability benefits.

    They are Gregory Chrisman, 57, of Burlingame; Nicholas Beyer, 32, of Discovery Bay; and Adam Asleson, 39, of Peachtree, Ga.

    Chrisman is charged with two counts of lying to the FAA by saying on the medical forms in 2017 and 2018 that he did not suffer from any mental disorders and was not receiving any disability payments.

    The indictment alleges that he in fact had told the VA he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had received disability payments since 2011.

    Beyer is accused of two counts of false statements and two counts of hiding a material fact. He is alleged to have told the FAA on the medical forms in 2016 and 2018 that he did not have any kind of mental disorder, while having told the VA he had major depressive disorder.

    He is alleged to have concealed a material fact by telling the FAA that he was receiving VA disability payments only for knee and back injuries, although the payments were also for his depressive disorder.

    Asleson is accused of one count of making false statements by telling the FAA that he didn’t suffer from any mental disorder and was receiving VA benefits only for knee strain and tinnitus, although he was in
    fact receiving the benefits for major depressive disorder.

    The fourth defendant, Walter Grant, 36, of Fortuna in Humboldt County, is accused of falsely telling the FAA that he did not suffer from frequent or severe headaches, although he had been receiving disability
    payments from the VA for tension headaches since 2011.

    The four men have each been arraigned before a U.S. magistrate in San Francisco and released on $10,000 unsecured bonds. They are due to appear before the federal trial judges assigned to their cases at various dates in late September and early October.

    Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison, if the defendants are convicted.”

    Full Article At: “https://www.ktvu.com/news/2-bay-area-pilots-indicted-on-charges-of-lying-on-medical-forms”

    1. Seymore,
      This brings to mind about a pilot and other reprobates in four states, being helped by a DAV National Service Officer, to receive disability compensation on hearing loss. It happened a few years ago. It came to light through many websites. I learned about it through *”DAVReform”!*

      I wonder who helped these reprobates get their compensation?
      It might be worth looking into deeper!

  15. Hopefully the VA GC will improve now. What a mess. The most unresponsive to Court Orders (even though they were only by the Clerk) I’ve seen. Will be sending a motion for Summary Judgement because the GC was unresponsive to correcting the Record Before the Agency (RBA) per the Clerk’s Order. The Attorney tried to game the Order by copying most of her 95 pages of additions from the original 4529 RBA. No effort was made to obtain the Medical Division Medical file to replace missing probative documents referenced in documents that are in the RBA. The real stuff that I need that has been shredded or misfiled.

Comments are closed.