{"id":16086,"date":"2018-02-14T21:51:04","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T21:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/14\/va-secretary-promises-to-go-along-with-ig-recommendations-despite-disagreements\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:01:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:01:01","slug":"va-secretary-promises-to-go-along-with-ig-recommendations-despite-disagreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2018\/02\/14\/va-secretary-promises-to-go-along-with-ig-recommendations-despite-disagreements\/","title":{"rendered":"VA secretary promises to go along with IG recommendations, despite disagreements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said he will go along with all of the recommendations in a scathing inspector general\u2019s report<\/a> criticizing an overseas trip last summer<\/a>, even though he still strong disagrees with the findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already written a check to the Treasury,\u201d he said in an interview with Military Times on Wednesday. \u201cWe\u2019re going to go ahead with everything they recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those recommendations<\/a> include possible disciplinary action against senior VA officials, particularly his chief of staff, Vivieca Wright Simpson. In the report, investigators accuse her of doctoring internal VA emails to create a justification for Shulkin\u2019s wife to accompany him on the trip to Denmark and London last July. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn retrospect, I wish I had asked additional questions of my staff,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was no intention of misusing government money. I relied upon my staff to make certain decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t