Ding Dong Richard Griffin Is Gone
This weekend spelled freedom from the person considered the biggest cover-up king in modern VA OIG history, Richard Griffin, who stepped down from the helm of VA OIG on July 4. But will this help?
Last week, Richard Griffin announced through his spokewoman that he will be stepping down from head of VA OIG. Sadly, his stepping down does not immediately mean he will be replaced through a normal confirmation process. Linda Halliday will replace him for now.
When President Barack Obama was asked by whistleblower Ryan Honl if Griffin would be replaced by an objective, non-VA inspector, Obama plainly said “No.” Perhaps VA oversight does not deserve serious leadership under his administration.
Nonetheless, I’m thrilled Griffin is now on retirement. His charge over VA OIG resulted in one whitewash after another while claiming to be independent. However, America realized this was not true after VA OIG fraudulently announced no clear connection between the Phoenix wait-list and veteran deaths. Griffin changed the language of his report to suit the political whims of VA Central Office.
What a shame… So what can we expect from the next full time VA OIG head?
Ben Krause – I extended my FTCA claim for this exact reason. Mary Bell is my OIG Attorney now. As I’ll be presenting evidence as Anoka County CVSO has resigned & a Blaine PD administrator exerted unwarranted Federal influence without Court Order, slander of a Veteran character must never be tolerated. I’m pushing forward with a full Federal OIG investigation with Cyber Crime Forensic Analysis of Anoka County Sheriff & PD representatives & County snitch crews. A Federal Judge & prosecutor will decide FTCA claim merits. , VA data breaches must end! No County or PD officer is a JUDGE & JURY!
07/07/2015
Dear Benjamin Krause,
There are so many connections to be made as this VA Scandal unravels:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_J._Griffin
A native of Illinois,[1] Richard J. Griffin was the American Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, as well as an Ambassador from June 2005 until November 2007. His early career was with the U.S. Secret Service. He served as the Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 1997 to 2005 and returned to that office as the Deputy Inspector General in 2008. [2]
As the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security appointed by George W. Bush, he made key decisions regarding the department’s oversight of private security contractor Blackwater USA. After a critical review by the House Oversight Committee found that his office had failed to adequately supervise them during the Blackwater Baghdad shootings protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq, he resigned in November 2007. [3]
________________________________________________________
https://www.cheatsheet.com/business/blackwater-mercenaries-are-going-to-jail-and-thats-a-big-deal.html/?a=viewall
Blackwater Mercenaries Are Going to Jail, and That’s a Big Deal
• Sam Becker Google+ Twitter
• June 01, 2015
______________________________________________________
As we heard yesterday on the Charlie Rose interviews —nothing is moving without the central banks.
Maybe Griffin was really a “company man.”
We can sit here for years or we can get to work.
Sincerely,
Don Karg
Dear Mr. Krause:
I hope they give ding dong Griffin some company and send some more ding dongs along, I would hate to see ding dong Griffin go to it along,it is long overdue.
Yours for God and Country
Frank P. Calderon
P.S. good riddance to the ding dongs and get people that mean business that aren’t there to play games
I just saw a facebook thing where this guy went out on the 4th of July asking people what is being celebrated on that day. Only one out of the ten or so people he asked knew, and that guy was a tourist from Italy! You can imagine how many people have any idea what the VA is doing to vets these days.
Bob: “I think we will sacrifice the OIG Chief this week. I can’t think of anything right now that will appease the peasants on our VA scams.”
Hickey: “Great idea, Bob. Next week we can find a doctor who has killed off a bunch of vets by overdosing them.”
Bob: “No, we already did that one. Okay, so your homework is to find a new distraction to throw at Congress and vets next week. Come up with something completely new and really shocking.”
Today on Fox news@ 6 pm (est), the U.S. is worried about the money, $1.5 billion, which is, or is going to be, given to Iran. There is concerns it “will fund terrorism”. Evidently no one thought that one out. Isn’t Kerry in charge of that one?
Also, has anyone heard the dismal report over the $1 billion F-35? Seems it couldn’t out perform the ‘older F-16’! Of course, the DOD tried its best to defend it. But, they drew quite alot of criticism from Congress. One aspect of their defense was, “the pilots helmet was too big. Therefore, not allowing the pilot to see behind him. I would have said, install rear view mirrors. Guess that was to simple for the supporters of the aircraft.
Can anyone state other fubars the DOD, VA, IRS, VA OIG and any other government organization has committed money to which the taxpaying public has little, to no, knowledge of? Give $$$ amounts please. Give circumstances over what the money is being spent on.
Elf: Maybe you meant to say $1.5 TRILLION F-35 project failure. You said $1 billion.
Yep, your correct. I meant to say TRILLION! Do you know of any other “over expenditures” our government has done? Besides the ones I’ve mentioned?
Hi again Ben!
How was is your Honeymoon?
My last 3 Honeymoons were Great ! The problems started much later! anyway, I wish you the best!
Most likely, we will See the Name “Griffin” somewhere in the “OBAMA” administration, before the end, or after the end . These MFs (Mighty Folks) never die!
Vassilis Margaris
MSG, US ARMY, Retired, (Chapter 61)
>> Nonetheless, I’m thrilled Griffin is now on retirement.
me too!
>>Griffin changed the language of his report to suit the political whims of VA Central Office.
you & others have reported this and documented it. all of Congress and hopefully many USA citizens know this now and know beyond a shadow-of-a-doubt, veterans who deal with the VA have and had way more to deal with than just “wait lists”.
>>What a shame… So what can we expect from the next full time VA OIG head?
i think Obama answered that, yes? just more of the same except the thugs will be dug in deeper & with more elaborate schemes to defraud the [veteran & veteran’s family] and protected from the WH no less!
Congress is dead in the water …
Don’t forget they will be defrauding the “middle class taxpayers” as well. These people get hit the worst!
I just received, in the mail, a 4 Page letter “from the desk of JOHN McCAIN” wanting me to donate “45 for 45 Program”. It goes on to say the RNC is wanting to “defeat the democratic party ” by having me give them money.
I’m a registered Republican. If anyone out there is a registered republican, they will probably receive one of these letters. While you reading it, you will probably notice there is not one word concerning VETERANS. Whether they be disabled or not. It does mention or weak military and weak world wide position Obama has put upon us. But, again, NO MENTION OF THE VA OR VA OIG OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY? All he, and the RNC want is $45 for the next president (our 45th president)!!!!!
He also mentioned China is building up their military. I knew China had begun siding with Russia. I didn’t know about the other! Or is this just another scare tactic by the RNC and others in Government..?????
They threw the China building-up military thing as a form ‘scare tactic’, while not even remotely describing how or if the RNC would support our own Military, let alone Veterans…and the fact that Se. John McCain **IS A VETERAN** pisses me off because the ONLY time he uses his influence is for re-election or raising money for elections…however, this time, screw the Veterans is my take.
I would think ANY political party and ANY candidate would make the VA and Veteran issues, major topics, esp. given we are still at war, Veterans are still recovering/returning from same wars, and all the scandals plaguing the VA…I have a policy now that may seem a bit self-serving but if any political candidate silicates me for $$, I will only *consider it*, and with much research first, IF they are not only strong on Veteran issues but can walk the talk…been fooled way too many times before by both parties and anything in-between.
Also, once you give, they and EVERY candidate will share YOUR NAME on their lists and you will hate yourself for letting them in.
These SCUM get BILLIONS from Corporate America, which no thanks to Citizen’s United, makes ANY tiny donation we “commoners” may make, just “bar money” for the candidates…it’s quite an insult in my opinion to be asking individuals for money while taking $$$$$$$$$ from the Koch Brothers and taking ORDERS from Koch Brothers.
Until Citizen’s United is destroyed, America will no longer be truly run by The People.
“Under New Management, Same Old Lousy Service.”
THink about it folks …how many President really served under war time conditions …on the ground!
Didn’t Ike? Or maybe I am mistaken. Correct me if I am wrong.
I have mentioned several times in this forum of the “acting” status of the VAOIG.
As we all know, the VA is the second largest department in the government. The Secretary of the department and the Inspector General both need Senate confirmation. Usually, whoever the President appoints will be confirmed by the Senate. However this is not always the case. At the very least we the people, and veterans specifically, need to know the character and the vision of those aspiring to these positions. This is brought forward in Senate Confirmation hearings.
Without appointment and confirmation, as the law specifies, we are at the mercy of unelected, non-appointed career bureaucrats who answer to their person political persuasion and whose objective is to perpetuate the bureaucracy. They do not serve at the pleasure of the President and they cannot be “fired” by the Secretary.
This same situation occurred while Clinton was Secretary of State. There was only an Acting IG. At the end of her tenure an IG was appointed by the President to the State Department. Within several months we learned of some 4 billion dollars which went unaccounted for in the Gulf Wars. There are many political reasons why an IG is not appointed. Chief among these reasons are investigations can be sidelined or tabled all together through political pressure and obfuscation.
You can bet your bottom dollar the VA whistle blowers found this out the hard way. It wasn’t until a doctor went to the media did the Phoenix VA scandal come to light. Ben has outlined dozens of issues were the IG would have had to have been deaf and blind not to know about.
I believe that we cannot start to clean-up the VA and its abuses until there is a truly independent Inspector General.
Well Said.
I’d just like to add it’s good-bye and good riddance. It’s too bad he’s allowed to retire and isn’t going to jail. A lot of exec’s like Griffin should be put in jail.
He not only “has the worst record of turning against the American Public”! He has the worst record of turning Americans against each other! We hear it from MANY of his supporters (cronies). Like Al Sharpton, Farakon and others.
Does anyone on here listen to, or watch, Sean Hannity or other Bill O’REILLY? They tell it as it is. NO B/S, just the facts.
Firstly, as a disclaimer, I do not wish to see anyone be ‘discriminated against’ and more, however, THIS President and his Attorney Generals are more apt to go to bat ONLY for say a Veteran that was discriminated against from a racial vantage point rather than going to bat for ALL THE VETS that have been treated just the same, if not worse, killed by the very VA’s negligence, but YET, Obama and his “cronies” remain silent on Veteran’s being discriminated in the sense of all the atrocities we read about on here, Stars and Stripes, the mainstream news, and hadit dot com.
Where’s the OUT CRY for the fact that VETERAN’s LIVES MATTER?!!!!????
I am thinking it will take a vocal Veteran of Minority Persuasion being overtly screwed over by the VA before Obama and his Attorney General will bat an eye! Sorry, but it’s more than just an observation and it’s actually blatant PREJUDICE and DISCRIMINATION on part of President Obama, Attorney General/DOJ, and VA OIG for doing nothing more than whitewashing and outright lying to American Public.
It is what it is and call it like I am many others are seeing things. I mean no disrespect, it’s a valid observation and Nov. 2016 Elections could not come quick enough. I think it’s imperative that we do our collective best to make all these veteran issues main topics with the upcoming Elections…our voices can be heard and if strong enough, will be issues part of serious Candidate Debates.
Namnibor, I agree 100%. Until a person, or persons, of a different persuasion is caught up in the quagmire of the VA, nothing will be done. With todays racial climate, this may come sooner than what the VA wants. If, and I do mean IF, “people of color and different ethnic backrounds”, were to come together and stop fighting, not only among themselves and others, Veterans could beat the “BEAST” known as the VA.
Right now we have a few agitators wanting, and demanding, all races to fight each other. This goes for the current administrations also. They do this to “Keep our minds off of what they are really up to”! Think about what has played out in our government, since the Terrible Tragedy in South Carolina. What has many government agencies accomplished since? How much $$$$ has been ‘shuffled around’, illegally I might add, to end up NOT being spent the way it was intended?
After that South Carolina incident, first it was the Confederate ‘Battle’ Flag that came under fire. Then it was the American Flag. Then it was an attempt to “disarm NYPD”. What’s next? In my opinion, these ‘acts’ are being perpetrated by a few, to keep our minds off of what’s really going on within our governmental agencies!
How do we, Veterans, Taxpayers, Truth Tellers, Civilians and Other organizations fight this corrupt system?
I leave the answer up to y’all. I DON’T see any changes coming about any time soon.
Would that also include some one who is gay or something like that? Obama seems to favor people like that whether veterans or not.
Yes glenn678, it includes them also. Btw, did you know Obama belong(s) to a “Gentlemen’s Club” in Chicago. Which was reported to be of “that persuasion”. Maybe this is why he pushed so damn hard to legalize “Gay Marriage”.
Also, I read today the VA is going to do everything it takes to honor the new federal law.
You still have the framework of the report writers and the spokespersons , 2 old battalacs who are cunts that lie like hell to the public. The FOIA department needs to go . And of course a massive investigation of VA attorneys and for the most part government attorneys who are unethical, and more than likely would not be able to hold a position in a regular law firm. This is more dangerous that the actual medical care being given to veterans because most of them do not carry professional liability insurance and is at the VA to pay off their student loans. Mrs. Halliday seems to be forthcoming, but OBama needs to go like yesterday. He requested a VA OIG investigation in 2009 and one of the missing administrative closures was just released.by OIG. So if you have someone trreating the oval office as some kind of stats like the NBA and a golf game. There is where the gaming started in all of government and where the responsibility lies. He has the worst record for turning against US citizens. He is communist and an implant. If Rachel Dolezal can pass as a black women, I am pretty sure Michelle can pass for a Russian KGB agent dressed up as a black woman with a huge Rhinosaurus booty , which are probably 2 Russian midgets stealing secrets during some of the briefings. All we can do as veterans is stay armed, practice your grouping and we will do find protecting our property when they try to make an assault on this country.
President Obama has repeatedly stated, “I have full faith in the VA OIG and Sec. McDonald to do the ‘right’ thing for Vets.”
As long as we have a President that chooses to wear blinders and play the whole “See No Evil”, nothing, absolutely nothing, will change, unfortunately. I call into question why the VA OIG are NOT non-VA personnel, to make truly non-biased investigations? As it stands, the “Fox is still guarding the henhouse”…and I too question why VA Sec. McDonald seems to support the dreaded status-quo when he specifically stated he would be cleaning-up the VA Culture and firing wrong-doers…this has been an atrocious joke at the expensive of we Vets and our Brothers and Sisters that have either been outright killed by the VA or the VA Whistleblowers that continue to be treated terribly for being brave enough to speak-out on the dastardly ways Veterans are being treated.
Why can’t The Administration see that heads NEED to fly starting at management to higher GS-employees? I am firmly starting to believe that the VA has absolutely no intention of making ANY changes to their rotten culture.
He’s gone, but not forgotten. His ‘legacy’, I hope, should NOT continue. Of course, what is to be expected from the current administration? People, 66%+, didn’t even vote in the last “mid term election”!
Therefore, why shouldn’t the country expect more of the same B/S?
That being said, Who is Linda Halliday? What is she going to do? Will she (NOT) “fudge the numbers” or “Rewrite investigations” so that it doesn’t bring “Shame” onto the administration currently in power?
Lastly, has anyone ever heard of Linda Halliday? Is she ‘cut from the same cloth’ as Bob McDonald? If so, God help us!
How many more people like Griffin are going to be allowed to step down or go ahead and retire and never be held accountable for harming veterans? Why do veterans have to go on receiving injustices from the VA and nothing ever gets done about it. How come Robert McDonald STILL hasn’t fired anybody?
Somehow I think the “magic ” word is Obama! He’s a huge cover up artist!