VA Execs Who Exploited Relocation Program Keep Their Jobs

The Department of Veterans Affairs is not demoting two executives who allegedly exploited a relocation program to obtain more than $400,000 in salary hikes and other benefits.

VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson announced Monday that the Veterans Benefits Administration senior executives will keep their high-paying regional director positions despite two unsuccessful attempts by agency officials to demote them, the Military Times reported.

Diana Rubens, the Philadelphia regional office director, and Kimberly Graves, the St. Paul, Minnesota, regional office director, earn annual salaries of $181,497 and $173,949, respectively. Both officials were scrutinized after a September inspector general report found that they forced lower-ranking officials to accept job transfers so they could themselves assume the vacated positions and do less work while keeping their high salaries.

Gibson said in a statement Monday that the inspector general report was not “supported” by evidence and that both executives made “errors in judgment.” He went on to defend the executives.

“Allegations of unethical behavior in the inspector general report were not supported by any of the evidence I reviewed. These errors in judgment took place before [the two] assumed their director positions, and the disciplinary actions do not diminish the confidence VA leadership has in [their] abilities … to manage their offices, lead their employees, and provide benefits to veterans,” Gibson said.

“The employees of those offices deserve high performing directors supporting their efforts. I have confidence that the employees of the Philadelphia and St. Paul Regional Offices … will continue their efforts to ensure all veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserved.”

More here