{"id":77509,"date":"2025-05-07T14:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/05\/07\/trump-picks-senior-va-advisor-to-serve-as-top-department-watchdog\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:00:00","slug":"trump-picks-senior-va-advisor-to-serve-as-top-department-watchdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2025\/05\/07\/trump-picks-senior-va-advisor-to-serve-as-top-department-watchdog\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump picks senior VA advisor to serve as top department watchdog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

President Donald Trump <\/a>on Tuesday nominated senior Veterans Affairs advisor Cheryl Mason<\/a> to serve as the top VA watchdog, a move that drew criticism from congressional Democrats<\/a> because of her ties to the administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mason was one of four inspector general nominations submitted by the White House this week. All of those posts \u2014 and about a dozen more \u2014 have been vacant since late January, when Trump dismissed the independent investigators from their roles without explanation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Missal<\/a>, who had served in the VA Inspector General role since April 2016, has joined seven other former officials in a lawsuit challenging those firings. That case is still unresolved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mason was part of the Board of Veterans Appeals from 2017 to 2022, becoming the first woman ever to serve as chair of the judicial panel. The board provides a second chance for veterans seeking disability benefits to challenge Department of Veterans Affairs decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is the wife and daughter of military veterans and has been a public advocate for military spouse employment opportunities in the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\t