Three VA Executives Receive Long Overdue Punishment
Three VA executives recently received punishment for fraudulent and dishonest behavior that many veterans and American taxpayers believed was long overdue.
Last week, VA announced it would punish Danny Pummill, Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves for their collective conspiracy to orchestrate job movements and relocation pay shams.
VA EXECUTIVES – FAIR PUNISHMENT?
VA announced it would suspend Danny Pummill without pay for his involvement in facilitating the relocation scheme. Pummill took over Veterans Benefits Administration after Allison Hickey resigned. Hickey resigned once the moving pay scandal heated up.
RELATED: Why Did Hickey Cover For Rubens, Graves?
Both Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves would receive a pay cut equal to 10 percent of their base salary. This means Diana Rubens would receive an $18,000 cut off the top of her $181, 497 salary. Kim Graves would get a cut of $17,300 from her curiously generous salary of $173,949.
RELATED: Diana Rubens Mocks Congress Over Fraud Investigation
Previously, Merit Board judges determined Graves and Rubens would not receive their demotion and transfer punishments because VA failed to also punish Pummill for his role given that he was equal or greater rank and had a role in their scheme.
SLOAN GIBSON ON PUNISHMENT
VA’s Sloan Gibson believes this new punishment idea would circumvent the Board’s reversal of previous punishment. Gibson believes the punishments were in the best interests of the taxpayers and veterans, “Ultimately, that is what these decisions are about: getting back to the work of serving America’s veterans.”
RELATED: VA Thumbs Nose At Judge
I just wonder how much money VA wasted while juggling this matter and its previous attempts to hold only the women accountable while the male evaded accountability for his role.
But the punishment ultimately falls short. Americans and subordinates within VA will likely be left with a faint taste of manure in their mouths on this one. Any way you look at it, American taxpayers are left paying high salaries for individuals with a proven track record of dishonesty.
Pummill will still be in charge of the entire Veterans Benefits Administration. Rubens and Graves will also still be in charge of two major regional offices that process veterans benefits claims. This system has long struggled in making timely and accurate decisions on veterans claims.
How can we know these employees will carry out their mandates with integrity given their track record?
The fact is, we cannot. So why should we continue to employ them?
Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-03-22/va-suspends-top-official-in-relocation-scam
Shut the VA down !! It is a money pit .
This just shows you, how the VA takes care of those who break the Law. This just tells other employees go ahead and do as you please, you will not be fired. They got $400.000 once they pay this back at 10%, they will be promoted or they will get a Bonus to make up for it. Veterans fight many many years to obtain their disability and once they get it, the VA keeps making them do C&P examinations over and over again until they find someone to say the veterans condition has in proved and they take it away !
This is not Justice it a fleecing of Veterans, The VA is not for Veterans its for Employees to make big bucks off Veterans Backs. They lie so often, veterans are dieing their disabilities taken away, why to pay employees to harm us and Bonus’s for doing so. Since they can’t do the right thing. Just close the doors to all VA departments and the OIG offices or fire all top officials and start over with very strict hiring laws and make it easy to fire those who abuse their power.
Folks the VA is using the Disruptive Committee to shut veterans up, They can do this to me, you anyone they wise any anytime, You will be threatened with Federal charges, Arrest, and Banishment from all VA care and they do not have to provide any proof that you had in fact have ever been disruptive.
How many veterans have employees done this too and then the veteran takes their life and for what, because and employee does not want to listen to what you have to say or your in a crisis and ask for help. The VA has become an Animal all of its own and higher management is allowing employees in many areas to do what ever they can to ensure veterans do not get their disability or try to take it away.
Its blood money they receive and veterans are in real danger ! You have no idea what they put into your records, you can say one thing and the writer will put down something you never said or change your words and they later use those writing against you.
Remember if a veterans should seek help for PTSD or other mental problems and state that they have or are thinking about suicide, they are automatically punished and labled as a danger to themselves or others. From that point on the veterans records are Red flagged and are treated as a criminal would be treated and employees can push their buttons, hoping for a outburst and when they do, to the Disruptive Committee they Go and will be labled a Risk.
When in fact, the employees laugh at the veterans and will say I put you in your place didn’t I and your life is ruined forever. Shut it down let veterans go to any doctor they wise.
22 veterans a day killing themselves enough or is the VA responsible for these 22 deaths a day, by giving them to much medication or the wrong medication, how many of these veterans 100% disabled and taking away from higher managements Bonus’s.
The Disruptive Committee is illegal and takes away every right Americans have to defend themselves, Everything civil and constitutional, your guilty not until proven innocent , but guilty because they said you were and you cant fight back.
They told the senators office they had no evidence of disruptive behavior, but they still call the FBI, OIG and my Local police Department. If I would have had a venue to defend myself with council these employees would be liable for making false claims, along with anyone who did not ask for proof.
Change.org
The end game in all of this is to close the V.A.M.C,s put us all in Obama care. Just like all of the other western socialist countries. think not just wait. and you think it is bad now. fight to keep the V.A.MC. fight to limit the union or close the unions down. then clean house.
Dear Cmmdr:
All running theVA. should be treated s accessories to serious crime, well what can we expect from this administration, why can’t Congress it seems to me Congress is scared to do the duty it swore to do what they swore to uphold when they assumed the office they now hold, they seem to forget who and why they were elected and by whom, it was we the people, we did not put them in office to rip us off.
No wonder they do not want Trump, they want everything as usual we should have another 200+ Trumps running.
That is what happen ever since I got to know Trump.
Yours for GOD and Country
Frank P. Calderon
My VA (it’s is Bob’s VA) !
Not only have I been feeling more craptastic in regards to health, but I am so tired of seeing the mug shots of these VA upper management fraudsters STILL EMPLOYED. I have stated this before in that if ANY Veteran had somehow obtained travel pay for an appointment that was not only inappropriate but say, $12. over what it should have, the VA would be dead serious when pointing to one of the plethora of posters wallpapered around any VA Facility, then threaten to take your animal’s first born for starts.
But SOMEHOW it’s *not quite as bad* if but -2- VA upper management fraudulently obtain $400,000.+ in relocation pay and after all this ping-ponging of acting like they did something wrong, to making a good show as if they are going to fire them, only to screws that up (by design, am certain at this point), then to this crazy-assed plan of reducing their pay 10%…and this level of ridiculousness is what Sloan Gibson calls “Accountability”?
I was talking to a Veteran’s Spouse that her husband died of definite medical grab-bag of Agent Orange-related illnesses Sunday evening, as she lives really close to me and it really IS only Vets and their Spouses that *get* how screwed-up the VA is. The average American Joe cannot properly wrap their head around it and the VA and news media are counting on this charming factoid.
Does anyone else feel somewhat helpless when it comes to this thing the VA hates called Accountability? I see the VA as a tad akin to a very thick-hulled military icebreaker ship, just plowing ahead and over lives while VA upper management get away with this crap and even some of the lower level employees even getting away with murdering one of our fellow Vets in his hospital bed AT THE VAMC in Louisiana…and according to VA he did no harm…I know the State is taking that up but would it surprise anyone if the VA Union gives that thug a get out of jail card for that as well?
I am ashamed of our POTUS and *most* of our Congress and Representatives. I think this Veteran whom committed suicide via fire in FRONT of the VA very much has been the last straw and I am not alone.
Anyone else thinking this corrupt machine is corrupt by design? What’s a way going forward?
Rant out.
I agree with what you said. You just left out a few hundred other cover ups they do daily. I do not blame you ! I also get writers cramp. I am ordering BENS VOC REHAB GUIDE tomorrow. I got paid early this time.
Cover up is so rampant. Poor Doctors . My husband died in VA hospital due to poor care..
Regardless of what Gibson says, this is not punishment since they keep their jobs, are essentially back at the same pay scale, and are living where they want courtesy of Uncle Sugar picking up the tab for their moving expenses.
Can they be trusted to now carry out their jobs with honesty and integrity?
That’s a resounding HELL NO! They should have been hammered as hard as any veteran if they had been caught skimming travel pay.
The big difference is a veteran would be facing civilian charges, a civilian prosecutor and a civilian jail. These three thieves faced an inept management and a kangaroo court stacked with leftists that did everything to insure the thieves kept their jobs.
Exactly just insane cover up
They are having a good laugh !
Veterans get punished for nothing
Absolute waste of time. I have a better idea, how about if all us vets call the VA and cancel all apointments and medications. Tell the VA we would rather die than put up with their BS. They have no respect for veterans or the tax paying citizens of this country. They are a complete waste of time and money anyway. If I want murdered I’ll go find a terrorist. They are not worth all the shit they are putting us through. Boycott the VA till they pull their heads out of their asses. Picket lines of vets in front of every VA facility in this nation. What do you think would happen if we did. A peacfull protest would get our point across to someone I’m sure. Going along with their system is getting us nowhere. What do the rest of you think about this idea.
I agree, now today!! Be on good terms with all me/women with out surrender, Do we now surrender or fight for the future .
Close the VBA take that money give it to the vets let them get lawyers and private doctors to look at and acquire there records. Then take it to the board of veterans appeals. At least it would be in a court with your lawyer fighting for you. Not so now. just some name less union thug who holds the power over us..
I men’t the court of veterans appeals
I agree that all veterans should boycott the VA. The problem is getting our veterans to do this. An all out massive nationwide boycott should get the attention of the taxpayers and the world as to how SES employees defraud the system and our government allows it to perpetuate. The VA needs to fire many SES employees and Staff without pension benefits and SHOULD BE DISBANDED. Enough is enough.
The billions given to the VA guarantee incompetent and increase in fraudgelant behavior. The VA uses the billions as their checkbook and pension benefits.
Lets get organized and march onto all VA facilities and get these assholes out. The Congressional Veteran Committees are also useless and need to be reorganized. Get the bikers involved. They are good at getting the point across.
Start flooding the President and VA Secretary and Congress and Senate with letters of dissatisfaction to get the ball rolling. If this is not done, the VA will continue to get worse.
May 20, 2017 Veterans will march on the state capitals in each state. Just show up.
name one non government company/corporation in the world that would cut your pay, and no fire you on the spot, for stealing 1/4 million dollars
Just 1.
Now there comes a case According to a report by Luke Rosiak of The Daily Caller, Elizabeth Rivera, a VA hospital employee in Puerto Rico, was fired after being arrested for being part of an armed robbery. She was in fact charged with armed robbery, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges. However, she was quickly reinstated after her union cited the fact that the management-side labor relations specialist, who’s tasked with handling union and employee discipline, is a convicted sex offender, and that the hospital’s director was once arrested and found with painkilling drugs.
Despite the fact that the labor relations specialist, Tito Santiago Martinez, had reportedly disclosed his conviction to the hospital, the VA hired him anyway.e that might top them all.Rivera missed work while she was in jail, but she reportedly received back pay upon her reinstatement.
It’s time to admit that the VA is so corrupted that completely dysfunctional. Now it’s time to shut it down and contract everything out to private medical, and benefits and pension companies. Than appointment an over watch congressional committee. We can prosecute and fine private concerns more readily than the criminals and thugs we have now at the VA.
I seriously believe the VA is getting worried about privatization. For my last Ortho appointment, I was surprised at how they cleaned up the clinic, notwithstanding violating every veterans medical privacy by doing vitals and intake in the waiting room next to anyone sitting there.
Anyway, shortly after that appointment, I got a letter in the mail with a link to a VA web site for a survey. I kept forgetting to fill it out, then a couple days ago I got another printed survey in the mail for the same appointment.
Both letters refer to an Ipsos group in Chicago.
I wonder if it’s the same Ipsos polling group many news organizations and politicians use, and how many thousands have been spent on this.
I believe the VA is doing their damndest to drum up favorable numbers for Congress to justify keeping their jobs. The questions are just vague enough to be meaningless depending on how the answers are used.
I highly doubt it will translate into changing anything at my VA.
Correction: The letter I received a couple weeks ago refers to the upcoming printed survey I would receive, or I could go online and do the same survery.
The letter states the “VHA has partnered with Ipsos, a well known survey firm”.
I think I will do both since I just dropped the printed survey in the mail today. With comments in the blank spaces.
What I want to know is why these people have hearings and crap like that? They shouldn’t be in a union ( or whatever it is) they should get three written reprimands and then get fired PERIOD, no ends ifs or buts. Need to start treating these Federal employees just as if they were salaried workers n the private sector. $170,000.00 a year Jesus Christ no wonder they can’t give us a cost of living adjustment or just pennies. I served in three different wars (not really a war but) Vietnam, Grenada and Panama, watched the East German guards point their rifles at me. And what do I get compared to these assholes? Squat compared to them. Fired there asses and lower the PSY. Congressman don’t even get as much pay as they do
these criminals like hellary Cliton are above the law. what’s 10% pay cut, just barely touching the paycheck. NONSENSE. JUST a “show” & after that still defiant? like their commander-in-cheap, ubamer… all crooks.. those people imposing the penalties, just as crooked. they’re just as corrupt as the convicted…. they’re all in the same boat… they all need to get fired, not just 10% penalty. .. this is total bullshitski. crap… that’s what happens when you have a socialist gov. they’D be floating in the river if Kim Jung IL was in charge…lol..
I agree, they are most likely already planning how to get their money back. I wonder how they show their face to Veterans. Then I think, “I never see the administrator”. I have been going to same VA for years, and have tried a few times. Plus, they always seem to have a new one.
I agree, namnibor!
No more than a slap on the wrist. They’ll probably get the monies returned at a later date. Maybe even receive larger bonuses this year to make up for their it!
Somehow all this corruption and abuse will end. Only time will tell.
namnibor, I hadn’t heard anything about that “Tombstone Incident”!
Did you hear about the “Bikers converging on Wisconsin”? This is to insure the “bought and paid for SOROS and Clinton thugs and disruptors” don’t shut down Trump’s Rally today?
Someone came out over the weekend and “spilled the beans” on “How much money” was being paid to these despicable asswipes! Here’s the “breakdown”, up to $3,500 for a White person. Up to $750 for a “person of color”.
And, last but not least, around $500 for a “Hispanic”! What do y’all think about that? These idiots actually haven’t got a brain one in their freakin heads!!!!! Talk about stupid!
The “brave soul” who told the truth, said these “hired thugs”, were told to say “Bernie Sanders sent them”. Only one problem, they “…were paid by check!” The checks were discovered going back to SOROS AND CLINTON!
Kinda takes me back to “Pay by check Jerry Springer!” You remember him? The mayor of Cincinnati who “Paid Hookers by check!”
Have you heard what “Slick Willey” Clinton espoused at one of his wife’s town hall meetings yesterday or on sunday?
His mouth was really on overload. He stated, “For the last eight years, the Obama administration has been corrupt!”
There’s two VERY interesting details in that statement. 1.) Yes, I agree with that statement. And, 2.) He must have forgotten, Hitlery was part of this administration, as Secretary of State, for the first few years.
Remember her recent statement saying “We didn’t lose one person in Libya!” I guess Bengazi NEVER HAPPENED!
These statements by “Billy boy” and Hillary have gotten strange! It’s as though they don’t know what their saying half the time. Yet, all the statements are clues to their criminal empire! And, strangely, Hillary’s supporters aren’t catching them.
Maybe that’s the reason as to why she has to commit voter fraud to win!? Just as “Lying Ted” Cruz (Texas) and Kascich (Ohio) has had to do.
Nope. A demotion of 10% will be more than made-up with curated bonuses yet again on backs of Veterans.
Nothing less than FIRING these CROOKS is acceptable.
We have a bewildering case of having seen this song and dance repeat itself and if Sloan Gibson calls THIS accountability, well, he too is very much part of the problem of coddling corruption by awarding with slap on the wrists.
Those salaries are ridiculous when one pairs that next to what a 100% Service Connected Disability Compensation…it pales in comparison is quite laughable in a mad, mad way.
All this does I display to all the other thugs at VA that you COULD get in trouble but do not sweat it because the VA has the six of their employees, NOT the Veterans they are supposedly there to serve.
WAY too much lard in the upper management needs a drastic diet.
The VHA is a living entity really. I believe it is impossible for an entity to fundamentally change once full grown, and also that cutting out any integral part will kill it too. Killing it one piece ar a time is a violation of humanities cruelty laws. VA needs to follow the fate of Ol’ Yeller and the humans within peaceably disperse for new horizons. Ol’ Yeller just stopped being safe because he got too sick. Like VHA. Semper Fi.
Nothing a thorough VA Enema would not resolve, using a power washer that’s name is ‘accountability’.
Lets shove that power washer so far up they choke on it.
Boycott the VA.
There are two separate parts of the VA monolith, the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The male discussed seems to be a part of the VBA. Either way, these people are utilizing the tactics that Mr. Krause discussed a few weeks ago which is to hire absolutely incompetent subordinates, site unseen, to do the daily work needed and fire the competent workers who call attention to the bad behavior.
They should shut it down !