‘Derelictions’ in veteran chief’s trip
WASHINGTON: US Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin improperly accepted tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament during a government trip to Europe last summer, and his chief of staff made false statements so the secretary’s wife could travel at government expense, the inspector-general reported on Wednesday.
The investigation of Mr Shulkin’s European trip found several other “serious derelictions”, the VA inspector-general said in a report on its website.
The office opened the probe after receiving an anonymous complaint alleging the secretary had misused travel funds because the trip to Europe, which cost at least US$122,344 (3.83 million baht), was more personal than business.
Mr Shulkin criticised the inspectorgeneral’s findings in an addendum to the report, saying: “It does not appear accurate or objective, and it contains a thread of bias.”
VA spokesman Curt Cash our said the department was reviewing the report and its recommendations in more detail before determining an appropriate response.
Mr Shulkin was the latest member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to come under fire for travel practices.
Health secretary Tom Price resigned in September after an uproar over his use of private charter planes for government business. At least four other Trump Cabinet members have faced criticism for government travel, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, also the target of an inspector-general’s probe, faced growing scrutiny after the Washington Post reported on Monday that he had racked up about $90,000 in first-class, private and military jet travel.
Mr Pruitt told New Hampshire’s Union Leader newspaper on Tuesday that had he travelled first-class for security reasons.
Mr Shulkin led a VA team to Copenhagen and London for 10 days in July. The report said the trip included three days of meetings in the two cities as well as “significant personal time for sightseeing and other unofficial activities”.