Department of Veterans Affairs officials improperly approved nearly $11 million in executive bonuses intended for other workers, a department watchdog said in a new report.
The money was recently appropriated by Congress and intended to be used to recruit “critical skills” employees, but ended up in the hands of senior managers at the VA’s central office in Washington, according to a released inspector general report THURSDAY.
The funds, authorized by the Covenant Act, were supposed to incentivize the hiring and retention of specialists needed to process billions of dollars in new benefits for veterans facing health problems following their exposure to burn pits. Agent Orange and other toxic hazards.
In this May 10, 2013 file photo, the seal of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is shown at headquarters in Washington, DC.
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE
The IG report said the money was instead paid in bonuses to more than 180 top executives last year, with several taking home more than $100,000.
The average bonus paid was more than $55,000, according to the report.
The Washington Post was first to report the results of the inspector general’s investigation.
The IG said the improperly approved bonuses were due, in part, to failures in leadership and controls at multiple levels at the VA.
The IG recommended that “the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or his designee take appropriate steps to determine whether individuals involved in the decision-making process…had actual or apparent conflicts of interest and develop a process to ensure that all decision-makers are free from any situation. conflicts when awarding future incentives.
When Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough ordered executives in September to return the money, most did or agreed to do so, but 19 challenged the requirement to repay the bonuses, the report said. of the IG.
ABC News
