Washington, D.C. -Today, all Democratic Members of the House Subcommittee on National Security sent a letter to Chairman Ron DeSantis requesting a hearing on a trip taken by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, to England and Denmark in July 2017, which was exposed today in a report by the Inspector General. The findings in this report raise serious concerns about Secretary Shulkin’s judgment and his management of senior staff.
According to the report, the Inspector General identified several derelictions of responsibility. For instance, Secretary Shulkin improperly accepted tickets to Wimbledon for his family during this trip. In addition, his Chief of Staff “made false representations to a VA ethics official and altered the official record." As a result, the Department improperly paid for Secretary Shulkin’s wife, Dr. Merle Bari, to accompany him on the trip.
“Our Committee has a responsibility to examine these findings closely, ensure that the Department is implementing all of the Inspector General’s recommendations, and hold officials accountable for abusing taxpayer funds," the Members wrote. “In addition to holding a hearing with Secretary Shulkin, his Chief of Staff, and the Inspector General, we believe we should determine whether Secretary Shulkin has refunded to the U.S. Treasury all taxpayer funds that were expended inappropriately, as well as the costs of Wimbledon tickets for his family."
Signatories include Ranking Member Stephen F. Lynch, Rep. Peter Welch, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez.
