Federal investigators are probing new allegations that a veteran committed suicide while awaiting care in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system due to “unofficial wait lists,” and are also looking into whether the tragedy was covered up.
VA Inspector General Michael Missal notified lawmakers that he would be investigating the case in response to a request from a pair of Senate Republicans.
“The circumstances regarding the alleged document falsification as well as the alleged use of unofficial wait lists are now under review by OIG staff,” Missal wrote in an Oct. 19 letter to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Colorado’s Cory Gardner. “Upon completion of our review, we will make every effort to share whatever information we can in accordance with applicable law.”
The senators asked for an investigation after a whistleblower told them that a 26-year-old Army ranger committed suicide during an extended wait for PTSD treatment at a Colorado Springs VA facility. The VA then “falsified documents after the suicide” and targeted the whistleblower for “an alleged privacy violation,” according to the allegations.
“As we’ve seen at VA facilities in Wisconsin, it is vital that allegations of wrongdoing at VA facilities be investigated promptly and thoroughly,” Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee, said in response to the letter.
Federal officials are also investigating whether the whistleblower has been targeted for retaliation. “These allegations are serious and therefore must be met with a thorough, comprehensive investigation,” Gardner added. “I remain committed to fighting for transparency and accountability from the VA, and I look forward to reviewing the Inspector General’s findings.”
