It’s been VA scandal de jure over at the Denver Post for some time, but the latest revelation that a high-ranking official who knew about the excessive cost overruns is still on site could prove troublesome when it comes to future funding.
Congress has been pretty adamant that if they are going to fork over nearly $1 billion to finish the VA hospital in Aurora, they want assurances by the agency that everyone associated with that chaos has been terminated.
This, does not bode well:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials in Washington knew about management problems with the VA’s hospital project in Aurora as early as May 2011 — seven months before construction began — yet two years passed before any changes were made, documents show.
The high-ranking officials who received the warnings either still work for the VA or have retired. One remains in a senior-level position overseeing the project.
Disgraceful.
VA needs to get its act together AND hold its employees accountable for this serious malfeasance.
Sadly, we expect this latest exposé will merely lead to the official’s early retirement, with full benefits.