{"id":75530,"date":"2024-05-31T16:24:39","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T16:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/05\/31\/va-chief-to-address-bonus-scandal-next-week-at-house-hearing\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:12:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:12:53","slug":"va-chief-to-address-bonus-scandal-next-week-at-house-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2024\/05\/31\/va-chief-to-address-bonus-scandal-next-week-at-house-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"VA chief to address bonus scandal next week at House hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough<\/a> will appear before House lawmakers on June 4 to testify on improper benefits awarded to dozens of senior department officials<\/a> last year as congressional concerns mount regarding the unfolding scandal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee officials <\/a>had requested that Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal<\/a> and Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs<\/a> \u2014 two officials at the center of the bonus issues \u2014 testify on their roles in the mistakes. Instead, McDonough will field questions from lawmakers on the errors and steps taken to correct them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, a VA inspector general report<\/a> criticized Elnahal, Jacobs and several other department leaders for mistakenly awarding about $11 million in cash incentives to 182 senior employees who were not eligible for the awards. McDonough, who was largely absolved in the report, has already rescinded the payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that has not calmed lawmakers\u2019 fury over the mistakes, some of whom have questioned whether the moves were made out of ignorance of the law or intentionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\t