US Special Counsel is investigating claims of retaliation against Veterans Affairs whistleblowers

 As the Veterans Affairs scandal continues to grow the  U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating claims that whistleblowers are facing retaliation for coming forward.

  Here is more:

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is currently investigating allegations of whistleblower reprisal from 37 different Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees in 19 states, The Daily Caller has learned.

OSC is investigating allegations that VA retaliated against whistleblowers on cases involving “improper” health-care scheduling. VA is currently under fire after it was revealed that a secret waiting list kept at a Phoenix, Arizona VA medical facility led to preventable veteran deaths.

A VA employee in one of the cases alleged that he/she was slapped with a proposed seven-day suspension, a lowered performance evaluation and reassignment after reporting scheduling impropriety to the VA Inspector General

“Receiving candid information about harmful practices from employees will be critical to the VA’s efforts to identify problems and find solutions. However, employees will not come forward if they fear retaliation.”

  In light of this scandal everyone’s first priority should be with our veterans, fixing the problems, and making sure they get the care they need in a timely fashion.

  But it appears as if on the surface, if these allegations are shown to be true, that what the leaders of the VA are most interested in is protecting their own asses by intimidating potential whistleblowers into silence.