{"id":17712,"date":"2019-01-17T17:31:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T17:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/17\/watchdog-finds-operational-ethical-violations-with-security-staff-for-top-va-officials\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:23:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:23:49","slug":"watchdog-finds-operational-ethical-violations-with-security-staff-for-top-va-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2019\/01\/17\/watchdog-finds-operational-ethical-violations-with-security-staff-for-top-va-officials\/","title":{"rendered":"Report cites concerns with VA security staff, says former secretary used his driver to chauffeur his wife"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Security officials charged with protecting the Veterans Affairs secretary<\/a> were careless with travel information, collected false overtime payments and improperly acted as a chauffeur for one secretary\u2019s wife, according to a report from the department\u2019s inspector general<\/a> released Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The review dates back to 2015 and offers a host of concerns with management and operations at VA\u2019s Executive Protection Division. It blasts leaders for \u201can informal and deficient threat assessment process\u201d and lists equipment problems going unaddressed for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials from the Inspector General\u2019s office found few reasons to criticize former VA Secretary David Shulkin<\/a> for his use of the security detail, a topic of rumor and accusations in the veterans community for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report says his requests for increased security were unusual but not improper, given threats against the office and the administration, and his use of security staff for overseas travel was in line with department policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t