{"id":29746,"date":"2018-04-30T16:12:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T16:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/30\/lawsuit-calls-acting-va-secretary-wilkies-appointment-illegal-demands-immediate-removal\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:19:41","slug":"lawsuit-calls-acting-va-secretary-wilkies-appointment-illegal-demands-immediate-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/30\/lawsuit-calls-acting-va-secretary-wilkies-appointment-illegal-demands-immediate-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawsuit calls acting VA Secretary Wilkie\u2019s appointment illegal, demands immediate removal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Advocacy groups sued the White House on Monday to remove <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2018\/04\/05\/wilkies-move-to-acting-va-secretary-raises-new-issues-for-pentagon-personnel-office\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover201165\">acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie<\/a> from that role, arguing his appointment violated federal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilkie, who also serves as the Defense Department\u2019s under secretary for personnel and readiness, was named the acting head of VA last month when President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/03\/28\/shulkin-out-trump-fires-va-secretary-after-weeks-of-controversy\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover921721\">dismissed then Secretary David Shulkin over Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Wilkie\u2019s appointment <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/03\/vets-group-wants-acting-va-secretary-out-calling-his-assignment-a-legal-worry\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover355802\">has raised concerns among multiple veterans groups,<\/a> who have complained the role should have gone to Deputy Secretary Thomas Bowman, the next leader in line at the department. Like Shulkin, Bowman in recent months has sparred with White House officials on policy matters, but White House officials have not yet said whether he will lose his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/democracyforward.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Wilkie-DE-1-Complaint.pdf\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\">The lawsuit<\/a>, filed by the left-leaning VoteVets and executive branch watchdog Democracy Forward, charges that by bypassing Bowman, Trump violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act along with other federal statutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe president has to adhere to federal law before he can make an appointment,\u201d said John Lewis, counsel for Democracy Forward. \u201cHe did not do that here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2018\/04\/05\/wilkies-move-to-acting-va-secretary-raises-new-issues-for-pentagon-personnel-office\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4043387.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Wilkie\u2019s move to acting VA secretary raises new issues for Pentagon personnel office<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Shakeup also impacts office that oversees defense health, education programs, exchanges and commissaries.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At issue is whether Shulkin was officially fired or resigned last month. Under federal rules, the president can only go outside the normal chain of command to appoint a new acting secretary if the prior office holder \u201cdies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White House officials have said that Shulkin offered his resignation, opening the door to Wilkie\u2019s appointment. Shulkin has insisted that he did not resign. Administration officials have not made public a resignation letter or other document to support their claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, White House and VA officials referred comment on the new lawsuit to the Justice Department. Officials there said they are reviewing the filing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If successful, the lawsuit would not only remove Wilkie from office (replacing him with Bowman) but also invalidate any decisions or contracts he has authorized in his month at the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a press release on April 25, VA spokesman Curt Cashour said following the firing of Shulkin, VA leadership is \u201cnow firmly aligned with President Trump and his priorities\u201d and that \u201cUnder acting Secretary Wilkie\u2019s leadership, senior VA officials are now on the same page, speaking with one voice to veterans, employees and outside stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18066579870562.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18066579870562.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18066579870562.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18066579870562.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18066579870562.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin speaks at a news conference at the Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington on March 7, 2018. (Andrew Harnik\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But officials from VoteVets said they believe the move to put Wilkie in charge was designed to allow individuals within the administration to put forward a series of controversial reforms with less visibility, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/11\/vets-groups-and-lawmakers-say-theyre-against-it-but-what-does-privatization-of-veterans-affairs-really-mean\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover258888\">including plans to outsource more VA care to the private sector<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRobert Wilkie never had hearings to examine his views of veterans\u2019 care, or how he envisions the VA working,\u201d said Will Fischer, director of government relations for the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis flies in the face of the entire system of checks and balances that federal statutes and our Constitution call for. By bypassing Deputy Secretary Bowman, and illegally moving someone from another department over to the VA to act as interim secretary, we believe that the Trump administration is trying to get a head start on its privatization efforts for the department, before hearings on a new secretary even happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A confirmation hearing on a permanent VA secretary was scheduled to take place last week, before allegations of unprofessional conduct arose regarding nominee Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician. He withdrew his name from consideration just days after Republicans and Democrats in the Senate agreed to postpone that hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has yet to name Jackson\u2019s replacement, a delay which could leave Wilkie in the acting secretary role well into the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last acting VA secretary to serve more than a month in that role was Sloan Gibson, deputy secretary at the department when former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned. He held the post for two months during the confirmation process for Robert McDonald, then returned to the deputy role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Critics allege that the White House violated federal law by skipping over the department&#8217;s deputy secretary for the 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