{"id":39841,"date":"2020-12-12T03:44:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-12T03:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/12\/major-veterans-groups-call-for-va-secretarys-ouster-following-damning-report\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:21:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:21:34","slug":"major-veterans-groups-call-for-va-secretarys-ouster-following-damning-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/12\/12\/major-veterans-groups-call-for-va-secretarys-ouster-following-damning-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Major veterans groups call for VA secretary\u2019s ouster following damning report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A day after the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/oig\/pubs\/VAOIG-20-01766-36.pdf\" target=_blank> Veterans Affairs Inspector General<\/a> blasted VA Secretary Robert Wilkie for his handling of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/10\/investigators-blast-va-secretarys-unprofessional-behavior-but-find-no-evidence-of-crimes\/\" target=_blank>sexual assault allegation at a department hospital<\/a>, most of the country\u2019s major veterans organizations called for his immediate firing, citing a lack of confidence in his leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSecretary Wilkie and several members of his executive staff violated the trust of a fellow veteran who came forth with serious allegations of sexual assault,\u201d said Veterans of Foreign Wars Executive Director B.J. Lawrence in a statement Friday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInstead of taking this veteran\u2019s allegations seriously, the Secretary and his key staff sought to discredit and vilify the veteran. We will not tolerate this behavior at our VA.\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\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/10\/investigators-blast-va-secretarys-unprofessional-behavior-but-find-no-evidence-of-crimes\/\" 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\/AP20140783642304.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\">Investigators blast VA secretary\u2019s \u2018unprofessional\u2019 behavior but find no evidence of crimes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The report accuses senior officials of ignoring problems within the department to pursue political vendettas instead.<\/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\">VFW\u2019s statement followed similar ones from Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Minority Veterans of America, the NYC Veterans Alliance and the Modern Military Association of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials from the Service Women\u2019s Action Network issued a statement saying that senior leaders in the department \u201ccannot be relied upon to provide safe, welcoming medical care to our women veterans because \u2026 they are privileging the continuance of both sexual assault and sexual harassment\u201d at VA facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least three members of Congress also called for Wilkie\u2019s resignation following the Inspector General report, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/10\/house-chairman-calls-for-va-secretary-to-resign-over-handling-of-sex-assault-case\/\" target=_blank>House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif.<\/a>, who said that actions of senior department leaders \u201cbetray the public trust and as a result disqualify [them] from all future public service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White House and VA officials did not respond to questions related to the resignation demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At issue is Wilkie\u2019s response to allegations in September 2019 from a staffer on Takano\u2019s committee \u2014 Navy reservist Andrea Goldstein \u2014 who alleged she was assaulted and verbally abused by a man in a public area of the Washington D.C. VA medical center while she was visiting the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VA Secretary promised a full, independent investigation into the allegations. However, the IG report released Thursday said and other senior leaders instead worked to discredit Goldstein, looking into her background and spreading rumors about her honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most damning revelations in the report was that VA police ran a background check on Goldstein two days before running one on a suspect she had identified as her attacker. That man (not identified in the report) had prior sexual harassment claims filed against him, but ultimately was not charged with any crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilkie accused both Takano and the Inspector General of politicizing the issue, and of searching for ways to smear VA leadership despite finding no evidence of crimes. In a statement Thursday, Wilkie criticized the Inspector General\u2019s office as \u201c\u201dmore dedicated to scoring political points than improving the department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But a day later, numerous veterans groups sided with the Inspector General over Wilkie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe unconscionable details laid out in this report are just another sign of the pervasive culture that allows for sexual assault and harassment, as well as retaliation against those who raise these issues, to continue within the VA,\u201d said Carl Blake, executive director of Paralyzed Veterans of America, in a statement Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey must be addressed in order to effect systemic change. We call on the President of the United States to fire Secretary Robert Wilkie, if he doesn\u2019t resign. Additionally, the senior leaders who enabled this to happen and allowed this culture to fester should be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with Wilkie, the report also criticizes the behavior of Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers, acting Chief of Staff Brooks Tucker, Principal Deputy General Counsel William Hudson Jr., Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs James Hutton, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Curt Cashour.<\/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\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/10\/house-chairman-calls-for-va-secretary-to-resign-over-handling-of-sex-assault-case\/\" 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\/DSC_6403.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\">House chairman calls for VA secretary to resign over handling of sex assault case<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Rep. Mark Takano says VA Secretary Robert Wilkie&#039;s actions resulted in a loss of trust in the institution.<\/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\">Prior to Wilkie, two of VA\u2019s previous three secretaries were forced out of office due to scandal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilkie was confirmed by the Senate in summer 2018, following the firing of former VA Secretary David Shulkin, who was criticized by the Inspector General for his decision to mix personal travel with official, overseas business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Shulkin asserted that his firing was actually connected to infighting with political operatives within the White House and VA, including Cashour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned in early 2014 amid criticism of a department wait time scandal, where administrators at multiple department health care sites gamed patient appointment data in order to preserve financial bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">AMVETS supports DAV&#39;s call to remove VA Secretary Wilkie. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OapW06F1RB\">https:\/\/t.co\/OapW06F1RB<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Gregory S. Heun (@AMVETSNatlCmdr) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AMVETSNatlCmdr\/status\/1337527079198482434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 11, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The VA Inspector General report makes it clear- Sec. Wilkie does not deserve to lead The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/IAVA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IAVA<\/a> joins those who have lost the trust and confidence in his leadership and we call for his immediate resignation. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/13r24ODGqn\">https:\/\/t.co\/13r24ODGqn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; IAVA (@iava) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/iava\/status\/1337549716855386112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wilkie is facing criticism for his handling of a sexual assault complaint at a department medical center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":75161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-39841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"4RTOXR2FPBFR3D3ILPPDDYP6PY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/11\/major-veterans-groups-call-for-va-secretarys-ouster-following-damning-report\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Major veterans groups call for VA secretary\u2019s ouster following damning report - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wilkie is facing criticism for his handling of a sexual assault complaint at a department medical center.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Major veterans groups call for VA secretary\u2019s ouster following damning report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wilkie is facing criticism for his handling of a sexual assault complaint at a department medical center.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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