Letter to Linda Halliday, Deputy of the Office of Inspector General - A Demand for Transparency from VA Inspector General

Letter

Ms. Linda Halliday

Deputy Inspector General

Office of Inspector General

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

801 I Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

Dear Deputy Inspector General Halliday:

I am writing to express my serious consternation regarding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General's (OIG) refusal to allow the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to review a copy of the VA OIG's complete investigation reports. As OSC notes, the VA OIG's stonewalling and denial of OSC's reasonable request undermines its "…ability to properly assess the VA's resolution of these issues."

Your actions constitute a trend indicating significant transparency deficiencies in the VA OIG's policies and practices. This week, we saw news the VA OIG may be improperly withholding the release of reports addressing wait-time concerns to Congress and the public. This failure possibly violates statutory deadlines requiring the VA OIG release such reports within three days of finalization.

Congress established the OSC to serve as an independent Federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. The OSC is vital in preserving our Nation's merit system by protecting Federal employee from prohibited punitive practices, particularly whistleblower retaliation. It is highly troubling the OSC found VA OIG investigations appeared to focus on discrediting whistleblowers at Edward Hines, Jr., VA Hospital and Overton Brooks VA Medical Center.

The VA OIG's response to the OSC's allegations it failed to carry out its mission is simply unacceptable. Consequently, I am calling on the VA OIG to immediately share a copy of any and all complete investigation reports OSC is requesting and strongly recommend the VA OIG formally review and reform its transparency policies to ensure it publicly shares findings in a timely fashion.

Congress established Federal OIGs to create independent and objective units within agencies that would "…provide a means for keeping the head of the establishment and the Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of such programs and operations and the necessity for and progress of corrective action." However, achieving this mandate requires the VA OIG to comply with reasonable requests from the OSC -especially when there are allegations the VA OIG suffers from serious problems and deficiencies in its programs and operations.

There is no greater responsibility than properly caring for our Nation's Veterans. After the abhorrent wait-time abuses that took place in VHA facilities across the country, it is absolutely vital that we carefully study the misconduct and act on lessons learned to ensure we never repeat such shameful mistakes.

The American people will not excuse the VA OIG from addressing these problems. There is an expectation public officials will follow regulations and faithfully discharge the duties of their offices. I hope you will join me in working to strengthen and reform the VA by improving your own Office's performance and I expect the VA OIG to share its complete investigation reports with the OSC promptly.

Sincerely,

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