Key Veterans Affairs oversight leaders including U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman asked the FBI months ago to investigate the agency’s exorbitant cost overrun tab of $1.7 billion to build the Aurora hospital and whether agency officials lied to Congress to hide the mess.

Now it seems that Washington is responding to the incoming Republican administration and the FBI is doing just that, according to a Dec. 9 letter from the agency.

“If they don’t, and there are no consequences for federal officials of the executive branch to lie when they’re under oath, then Congress simply cannot exercise its oversight,” Coffman said.

We won’t be surprised if the agency investigates the testimony of the VA officials responsible to determine if they misled lawmakers. What remains to be seen is whether they would actually be prosecuted and held responsible.

What needs to happen at the agency is a complete overhaul of the pervasive attitude that it’s easier to lie and hide problems, than actually fix them.