U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s political opponent was critical of her handling of the Veterans Affairs scandal after it was learned she knew about a whistleblower’s complaints in February.
Whistleblower Sam Foote sent Sen. John McCain and Kirkpatrick copies of a letter he sent to the Office of the Inspector General in February about mismanagement and neglect at the Phoenix VA Health Care Center.
In comments to the Arizona Republic, Foote said a McCain aide responded but Kirkpatrick’s staff never did.
One of Kirkpatrick’s political opponents, Arizona House Rep. Adam Kwasman, called for her to resign Sunday. “It’s unforgiveable to let something like this go,” he said.
When Kirkpatrick’s staff received Foote’s email, they forwarded his allegations to staff on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, where Kirkpatrick is the ranking member, said Kirkpatrick spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson.
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“The staff contacted the VA’s Inspector General and then informed us that an IG investigation based on Dr. Foote’s allegations was currently underway at the Phoenix VA,” Johnson said in an email. “And the subcommittee’s staff director contacted Dr. Foote directly.”
It wasn’t enough to pass along the email, Kwasman said. It’s not acceptable that Kirkpatrick didn’t follow up to make sure immediate progress was being made and that she didn’t make the information public, he said. “How do you let the time go by when people could be dying?”
Kirkpatrick said she pushed for the IG investigation and asked for it to be expanded nationwide.
