An investigation led by several congressional Democrats found taxpayers’ dollars were used to help raise the profile of Seema Verma, the Trump administration’s top Medicaid official.
Several events, speaking engagements, and networking opportunities sought out by consultants were all paid for through public spending in an effort to better brand 49-year-old Verma, according to the 53-page summary of the investigation obtained by Politico. Verma, who has served as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since March 2017, was named as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force this year alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx.
Verma, who advised Vice President Mike Pence on health policy when he was serving as Indiana’s governor prior to joining the Trump administration, has rejected any accusation of wrongdoing in her consulting practices. In October 2019, Verma told a House committee that her contracts at CMS were all based on promoting the work of the agency and that spending was “consistent with how the agency has used resources in the past.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to CMS for further comment on the report. Health and Human Services Department spokesman Michael Caputo told Politico the congressional report was “another reckless, drive-by, election-year hit job.”
The congressional investigation, led by Democrats across four House committees, spanned 18 months and found that Verma had at least 15 high-paid consultants around her to navigate Washington during her first two years in office.
“Verma and her top aides abused the federal contracting process to administrator Verma’s benefit and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars,” Democrats concluded in their summary.
Pam Stevens, a Republican communications consultant and former Trump administration official, was among those who helped steer the efforts to highlight Verma’s role in the administration.
In one instance, Stevens arranged a “Girl’s Night” party in the fall of 2018 to honor Verma, which cost taxpayers $2,933. The low-profile event was intended for media personalities and prominent women and was hosted at a reporter’s home. Stevens described the event as a networking opportunity for Verma. The host was not named in the report.
Consultants also helped promote Verma to appear in features such as the Washingtonian’s “Most Powerful Women in Washington” or be on high-profile panels. The cost of such events was more than $13,000.
Other objectives pursued by consultants included having Verma contend for Glamour Magazine’s “Woman of the Year” award and network with brand-building organizations such as Girlboss.
An op-ed penned by Verma highlighting President Trump’s changes to Obamacare on FoxNews.com cost about $977 for one consultant to place the piece.
Consultants also charged the health department with hundreds of dollars to set up Verma’s off-the-record conversations with reporters, pundits, and influencers. One lunch set up with Fox News contributor Marc Siegel cost the department $837. A conversation with then-Rep. Barbara Comstock cost $209, and having Verma’s profile in AARP’s magazine was about $1,117. Verma’s appearance on Politico’s Women Rule podcast was at least $3,400.
In addition, Democrats found that other contractors, such as personal drivers and press aides to Verma, charged the department a hefty price. During a two-day trip to New York City in September 2018, contractors filed for almost $8,900 in reimbursements, including stays in a hotel that cost over $500 per room per night.
Consultants who accompanied Verma when traveling to events told Democratic investigators that no media were present at these events. In October 2018, a trip to York, Pennsylvania, featured a driver from Nahigian Strategies and two other consultants.
“The size of Administrator Verma’s travel entourage appears to be a particularly questionable use of taxpayer dollars given the high rates charged by Nahigian Strategies for logistical tasks such as driving and event labor on these trips,” the Democrats’ report said.
The summary is expected to be released by Democrats on Thursday.
