By: Leo Shane III
WASHINGTON — Security officials charged with protecting the Veterans Affairs secretary were careless with travel information, collected false overtime payments and improperly acted as a chauffeur for one secretary’s wife, according to a report from the department’s inspector general released Thursday.
The review dates back to 2015 and offers a host of concerns with management and operations at VA’s Executive Protection Division. It blasts leaders for “an informal and deficient threat assessment process” and lists equipment problems going unaddressed for several years.
Officials from the Inspector General’s office found few reasons to criticize former VA Secretary David Shulkin for his use of the security detail, a topic of rumor and accusations in the veterans community for several years.
The report says his requests for increased security were unusual but not improper, given threats against the office and the administration, and his use of security staff for overseas travel was in line with department policies.