President Barack Obama’s administration has mistreated and abused our nation’s veterans for far too long — and now the FBI is finally stepping in.
Under Obama, the Department of Veteran Affairs has been repeatedly caught subjecting veterans to poor treatment.
Officials often blame a lack of funds from the government for the scandals.
But the most recent accusations totally debunks that excuse, and authorities believe Obama’s VA executives were simply wasting taxpayer dollars – and lying under oath about it!
The Justice Department is considering whether to investigate allegations that Veterans Affairs Department executives lied to Congress to conceal massive cost overruns at a $1.7 billion VA hospital under construction outside Denver.
The FBI’s Washington field office is reviewing the allegations, the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress. The letter was dated Dec. 9th and made public Tuesday.
The FBI is part of the Justice Department.
Lawmakers accuse VA executives of lying when they testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 2013 and 2014 about the cost of the hospital in suburban Aurora. The current projected price tag is nearly triple the 2014 estimate.
The VA declined to comment on the lawmakers’ allegations. In a written statement, the department said it has already acknowledged mistakes on the project and made changes to its construction practices.
A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers on the Veterans Affairs Committee asked for an investigation in September. The request came after the VA’s internal watchdog office said Glenn Haggstrom, formerly the department’s top official in charge of construction projects, knew the hospital cost was soaring but didn’t tell Congress.
The lawmakers also asked the Justice Department to look into congressional testimony by Stella Fiotes, director of the VA’s Office of Construction and Facilities Management.
Neither Haggstrom nor Fiotes immediately return phone messages Tuesday.
Haggstrom and Fiotes told the committee that no cost overruns were expected and that the project would be finished at or near its budget of about $604 million, according to transcribed excerpts from the committee.
Haggstrom retired in 2015, one day after he was questioned by VA officials about what went wrong, department officials have said.
Flordia Rep. and Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Jeff Miller said the Justice Department should investigate the two officials’ testimony.
“This case is a slam dunk, and it’s imperative for Department of Justice officials to ensure justice is served,” Miller said in a written statement.
“It is an absolute fact that numerous VA officials repeatedly misled Congress regarding cost overruns,” he said.
Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, a member of the committee, said he expects the FBI to investigate.
“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,” he said.
Investigations into the hospital project have said mismanagement, delays and lax oversight by the VA added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost and delayed it by years.
Construction on the 184-bed facility is expected to be done in January 2018. It will replace an aging, overcrowded facility still in use in Denver.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
McConnell and Ryan should take a bigger role in trying to end the disgraceful behavior at the VA. They sat by for the past couple of years and allowed the current administration to ignore our veterans.
it is about time something is done is done. Just read the other day about a Veteran left in shower of 9 hours.
Maybe Obama should take a shower like this
they should.. but neither of them are going to do anything that keeps the government from over spending.. Remember they have their finger prints on budgets thru the Ovomit regime
McConnell and ryan were obama’s kiss ass’s. they better change their ways under Trump.
Hopefully under Trump they both will gone or at least remove from their position. Unlikely since Mitch wife has been named to the cabinet. Both Rhinos backside kisser to the illegal.
Please have the people from the States which are represented by these” Obama jerks” send us someone to represent our Country and our values..Enough is enough !!
Veterans get so Dumped on !!!!! Trump is going to fix this !!!!
I only wish and hope so. BHO’s “team” allowed illegals to work, threatened whistleblowers (yours truly) forced resignations and implemented illegal practices against HIPAA, Women Fair Employment Act, Age discrimination, etc. The SF VA makes Phoenix VA look like Disneyland. Mike Thompson from California along with Dianne Feinstein were made aware of all of tgese allegations but nothing was done. And those who reported the wrong doings were terminated.
I totally fell for you. I am a native CA gal &know all about illegals working. I also am a federal whistle blower dating back to the 70’s. In one contract case it cost the govt contractor $2,000,000 to keep from going to jail in a double payment scheme. In another case the govt contractor was shipping to a third party our Desert Storm soldiers equipment to the guys they were fighting. You actually saw some of the stuff on their backs on the evening news. .You do have to keep yourself in the shadows or you may find a horse head in your bed. But it sure feels good when you finally can take one of the thiefs down.
Trump is going fiix a LOT of things OBUMAS has messed up!!!
If the hard core republicans let him. Trump is going to have a tough time working with the died in the wool GOP.
Jan 20 it is going to be very interesting to watch the news from the Left . The Left will be on a rampage for sure they are used to getting their way. Can hardly wait for Trump & Pence to do their thing.
I am a Veteran, I was wounded in Vietnam, I was blown up with a Mortar round and ended up on a rice patty dike and hurt my back and never got well, when we were Ambushed. When I got home I could not get any help from the V.A. I was told it was not political to help a veteran unless you lost a body part. I went to work and had some problems with war and back pain that I had to over come, which took some time. Six years ago after a lot of paper work and some help, I got help from the V.A. and said I was 60% disabled. I still am having trouble with my back, It took 12 mo. of going to a V.A. doctor and I gave up on the V.A. and went to Media care. The medicare doctor said I was lucky I got to him when I did, He said if I had fell down and hit my head just right I would of been paralyzed from neck down it only took Medicare one week and took the V.A. 12 mo. I would like to know what is the V.A. problem that they can’t be at least as good as Medicare. My knee still needs replaced it has been three years.How many more years will I have to wait for the V.A. Most likely after I am dead then they will not have to do anything to help me. I will be going to Medicare for my knee, I don’t trust the V.A. anymore, Veterans should Go to medicare and get help..
It is time for the veterans to stand up and put these slumbaggers down. Trump will clean the swamp and these guys should be put into jail for any reason we can find for robbing us blind.
I want them both gone. They don’t represent conservatives. Senate Mitch McConnell is one of the most corrupt Senators, who sees himself as the elite, entitled group of politicians in the Senate. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I cannot wait until the CIA and Department of Injustice heads, Clapper and Lynch, are put out to pasture after January 20, 20l7….Lynch has been nothing more than a political hack making sure that Obama did not look good and protecting Clinton….I think SHE should be investigated and Clapper investigated because of this ridiculous Russia hacking the elections….this is really FAKE NEWS in the raw.
Sorry, I meant she has been making Obozo look good …. lost my thought there.
And yet in recent years he has joined the Sons of the American Revolution and wishes to receive the accolades of a statesman and a patriot. If he is a true hearted American statesman and patriot please explain to me how it is so. Has he taken a strong stand to truly reduce the size of government? Has he vehemently opposed the Obama Healthcare Bill and vigorsly stood fast against it? Has he stood up against imposed unconstitutional policy from all three branches of our government? Has he given true or strong opposition to Obama governing by the pen (executive orders)? Why has he not? Why has he not courageously spoken up against so many wrongs in our government? Benghazi? Immigration? Abortion? Why was he so opposed to Sen. Ted Cruz when Sen. Cruz stood up against raising the debt ceiling on the budget? How will we ever gain a balanced budget if we do not begin at some point? But to castigate those who do stand up for what is right is to oppose common sense and integrity! Why does he do all these things when it is both easier and better to do what is right? If I am blind and see things wrong, then please set me straight.
Is it too late for the CIA to get involved and insist that there is no problem?
(As they have done with the FBI report that there was no interference by the Russians with the election.)
Veterans have known the situation that has been projected to Congress as being wrong about costs and accomplishments for many years
C. Smith
Veterans see
Having OB’s Justice Dept take over the investigation is like the FOX Guarding the HEN HOUSE. Right!!!
The REAL investigation will begin after January 20, 2017. It seems there’s an awful lot to hide from the last eight years…….
you are right about that!!!
Figure it out. The VA helps the very people who used to stand on the wall protecting America from all the people Obama wants to inundate our country with. No wonder he regards veterans with quiet disdain.
That ass should have been “done away with” several years ago but the Cowardly Congress hadn’t the balls to stand up to the ‘Clown-in-Charge’.
Alot has come out in regards to Obama’s 8 years of illegalities and treasonous acts yet nothing was done. I had witnessed psychiatrists prescribing medications causing suicide and quicker deaths by burned out doctors and reported as was supposed to. Nothing was done. Our reps in Washington DC do NOT care. Otherwise BHO would had been arrested for heinous acts against we the people and towards our veterans. Veterans lives DO matter!!!!!!
Our lives matter…until our enlistment is up.
This is what causes cost overruns. Get with it people who did they sell the tools to and had to go buy more, who did they sell the sheetrock to and had to go and buy more, who did they sell stuff to that was for the VA and yet they sold it to friends. I bet (can not prove it) that “stuff to build the building” is showing up off site. I would watch for that after all.
It’s the Obama DOJ they and several others are on the take for the liberal agenda and have been sweeping everything under the rug. Donald needs to drain the swamp starting with Loretta Lynch. Some body needs to go to Jail for all the government fraudulent activity the past 8 years.
Awful lot to hide from the last 8 yrs.! it is to late, they should start investigation at the beginning! 8 years illegalities! They let him destroy our country!! It is a SHAME!!!!Trump will have hard time to work on and change so many things! But lets pray for HIM and God give him enough power and health!!!
We are not discriminate Obama, because he is black, who cares even he is purple, but He is Muslim !!!!He hate America and his fake wife too.
He has given me the creeps since day one. Why did anyone think electing a Muslim to the highest office in America was a good idea. He hates America and has done everything he can to wreck it. I’m so glad to see the back of that guy.
Bath – House – Barry brought corrupt Chicago style politics to washington on a grand scale 8 years ago. Everyone in his administration INCLUDING OBAMA has lied, perjured themselves ( yes , I know perjury is lying ), flouted the nations laws,driven a wedge between races and attacked our Constitution at every opportunity. If I had my way, the whole filthy lot would be tried and then hung for treason. i don’t like the Republicans ……. but I HATE the Democrats !
You said it right, Obumass should be shot as a crook
OBUMBA HATED OUR MILITARY, AT ONE POINT HE SAID THAT THE VETERANS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE.
The VA must be swept clean from top to bottom! The FBI is right to investigate all instances of malfeasance and other irregularities. Those found to be culpable must be prosecuted. The FBI must also continue the investigation of Hillary’s security violations as well as irregularities at the Clinton foundation. Don’t allow all her other diversionary tactics divert our attention. She must be held accountable for her actions.
Excellent long overdue -it’s obvious O’bozo the “Big Eared” Clown isn’t concerned about insuring our Veterans have the medical treatment they deserve or appointing leadership interested in doing the right thing.
This so called president Obama’s days are numbered. He also is nothing but a stinky fart that will soon be gone Thank God.
A simple and possible revenue neutral would be to issue every veteran a medical ID card with benefits identical to that of the members of congress. If there is a problem, congress will have REASON to fix it.
What the **** took the FBI so long? People need to fry for this kind of ****. 184 bed facility, that’s a joke, way too small and way too expensive.
Hackers in Russia have been breaking into messages on the Internet ever since it was developed back in the 60s. My husband had a program which showed were the hack came from and most of them came from Russia” So this is nothing new, just the same old song like “99 bottles of beer on the wall, then one fell and there were 98” etc. I guess ingenuity in legitimate fields is so suppressed in Russia this is how they get their jollies. I it is better than drinking and they do have a very high rate of alcoholism.
Why has the Federal government NOT closed each and every V.A. Hospital in the nation and sold the facilities and equipment to the private sector and given each and every Veteran Hero a card that would allow them to go to ANY healthcare facility in the nation and have the V.A. pay for their care. It would cast less in the long run. Do our Heroes deserve anything less than the best this nation has to offer. In a free market, the best quality of good and services for the lowest reasonable price if found. A monopoly(like the V.A.) will always breed corruption poor quality of good ad services and overpricing.
THIS IS AMERICA!! Land of the free and home of the brave! Not government ran monopoly’s. Those how have put their lives on the line and many wounded and saw their friend in arms killed for what ever political crap the crooks inside the belt way said was worth their dying (but not worth the dying of the crooked politicians that sent them to die)
We all know there’s a lot of money to be made in war. How much money is YOUR life worth? Why should any other persons life be worth a penny less than your’s
Those of us that raised our arm to the square (as did you) and swore to defend this Nation from enemies foreign and domestic. We kept our word, and some of us died. Others are suffering from maimed bodies and minds. How many Vet have killed themselves TODAY!!!! And you want them to go to the V.A. When I was discharged from the V.A. around 8 years ago after trying to kill myself. My plan was to, honestly, jump under the first buss that came by. But my estranged son came and picked me up. My son is feather estranged now.
Shut down the V.A. Death camps and pay for our hero’s to get real healthcare from real healthcare providers and pull the licenses of the criminals presently killing our Vet at the V.A.
If you don’t do everything in your power to save our Heroes, you are part of the problem, and have no right to breath American air.
I have thought for a long time that Congress should have been trying harder too fix the VA
but the new person Obama brought in to clean it up was just as bad or worse than the old one had been and so nothing changed my hope and my prayer is that Trump will go to all of the hospitals and see for himself the way the patients are treated and finally do something about Getting rid of all the stupid people who think they have a right to a pay check as long as they don’t have to do anything for it..
He spent more than 85 millions dollars on vacation and 100 millions on illegal immigrants but then ! There are no funds for the VT ?!?!
Why is he still in office ? He should be locked up with his friends the clinton criminals .
Please don’t bother wasting the American taxpayer’s money investigating more Obama corruption, we know they won’t find anything just like they found Hillary didn’t break any laws, when I counted she broke 9 federal and three misdemeanors laws in just the email scandal alone. Let Jeff Session’s do a thorough investigation as head of the Justice Department. Until then what’s the point?
Thats a good thing if they will act. do something about it besides talk.
Thats a good thing, if they will do something besides talk. When they find something wrong fire them instead of giving them
Now imagine what they will do if they are able to overturn the election? What we have seen to date will pale in comparison to what they will feel free to do if they can get away with taking the Presidency from Mr. Trump. The will flood this country with illegals, they will support every single liberal cause, they will end faith in God from every religion but Islam. They will call for a Federal Policing agency and call for support from the UN. Those who do not follow there dogma will be either put in FEMA camps or executed. Most of us don’t believe this could happen because we don’t think along their liberal twisted terms.
Ask yourselves, what have they done to date? For the last eight years that have meddled, corrupted, lied, mislead and abused the people of this nation. They did their best to put a criminal into the highest office while ignoring and even making excuses for her wrongs. So what do you think they will do if they are able to overturn this election? If it were the other way around and this was being done to them they would be crying bloody murder. If they are not put to a stop now, there will be no safe place in America.
I blame Ryan, McConnell, esp McCain, Graham for VA plight, NO action from RINOs.
Hope Trumps pick gets in thier & Kicks butt for fast Results.
Move fast in DVA alone.
All veterans are america’s heros. They chose to serve this great nation and they are our nations greatest patriots. Is it any wonder Obama despises them.
MANY, MANY THINGS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED WHEN IT COMES TO BARRACK HUSSEIN OBAMA. HE’S COMMITTED TREASON AS HAS HRC, WAS AT WAR WITH ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ INSTEAD OF PROTECTING US AND OUR BELOVED COUNTRY, AND IS MORE CORRUPT THAN ANY OTHER POTUS. HE’S THE BIGGEST EMBARRASSMENT AND HOAX EVER PERPETRATED ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. HIS LEGACY? ‘RACIST-DIVIDER-IN CHIEF’, SADLY. HE HAD AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THIS NATION IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION BUT CHOSE TO DIVIDE US WITH HIS RACIST RHETORIC AND CORRUPT MISDEEDS. SUCH A SHAME BECAUSE HE FOOLED MANY WITH HIS SAVVY MANIPULATION, BUT NOT ME.
GOD BLESS AMERICA. GOD BLESS MR. TRUMP
AUSTIN VA OPC ,12 WEEKS TO WAIT FOR DENTAL HYGIENE APPT. THE PERSON BEFORE ME GOT HIS FOR FOUR WEEKS WITH A SMILE FROM THE RECEPTIONIST, I GOT MINE WITH A FROWN,I CAN NOT HELP I AM OLD AND LOOK LIKE A PIG. MOST OF THE RECEPTIONIST ARE OVERDUE FOR A CHANGE OF STATION.