VA improperly approved nearly $11 million in bonuses for execs, watchdog finds
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/va-bonuses-top-executives-pact-act-improper/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/va-bonuses-top-executives-pact-act-improper/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert)
The Washington Post - Lisa Rein
May 9, 2024 at 1:43 p.m. EDT
Veterans Affairs leaders improperly handed out almost $11 million in bonuses to more than 180 senior executives last year, with several taking home more than $100,000, a new investigation has found.
The bonuses came from funds that Congress earmarked to recruit and keep staff needed to process billions of dollars in new veterans benefits — not to reward top officials in Washington.
When Secretary Denis McDonough learned of the payments in September, he ordered all of the executives to repay VA. But the bonuses still are being recouped eight months later because many who received the money had already spent the checks, and some are challenging the order, according to a 92-page report by Inspector General Michael Missal's office, obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its public release on Thursday.
The episode exposes a litany of blunders and missing safeguards within VA as its top leaders disregarded rules to hand payouts to all career senior leaders in the D.C. headquarters of the health and benefits systems — then failed to keep McDonough and others informed about the plan, Missal's office found.
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"Some executives have yet to repay the bonuses, which exceeded $100,000 in some cases, despite an order from the VA secretary."
The VA Secretary promised to change the regulations and policies that prohibit Gender Affirming Surgeries. Later, Congress passed The PACT Act and authorized additional funds to pay for staffing and equipment for veterans' claims under the Act. Now, the VA Secretary says he "is not ready to change the regulations" affecting Gender Affirming Surgeries, even though we have been waiting for promised care long before the PACT Act was signed into law.
Senior Executives are receiving bonuses, some of which alone could pay for a veteran's surgery with money left over. What exactly did they do to earn these bonuses?
I have questions.
@LoriDee Dear LoriDee:Thank you so very much for finding and posting this... I find it to be reprehens
available that while our Veterans are needing assistance and help, and we hear all the time
about the limited funds available for care for our Veterans, that the Veterans Affairs leaders
and executives - are receiving big bonuses, totally to the tune of $11,000,000,000 ....
add that to all of the other wasted government money that is not going where it is really needed.
There are many returning veterans that are suffering serious disabilities that could better
utilize those funds.
Again LoriDee, thank you for posting this story.Danielle [Northern Star Girl]
The Forum Administrator
US AirForce Veteran... served right after college.
1st Lt First Lieutenant
Much of that time at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas
staff at the Air Education and Training Command