Shulkin, again

It’s not looking good for Department of Veterans Affairs chief David Shulkin to continue in his job. He’s come under the piercing gaze of the Office of the Inspector General again … never a good sign.

First it was traveling on the government dime to Denmark and taking his wife along, thanks to emails doctored by Shulkin’s chief of staff that indicated that the wife’s trip could be paid for. Next came the recent scathing OIG follow-up report on the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, which had a laundry list of scary tales. Then, White House chief of staff John Kelly had to tell Shulkin to zip his lip, stop talking to the press and to keep to the business at hand, which is to focus on veteran care.

Now, rumors say, it’s using his security detail to run personal errands. Specifically, a member of his security staff was used for a Home Depot trip and then had to haul furniture into the Shulkin house.

Even at first glance, this is a very stupid thing to do. How, one wonders, is a member of the security staff supposed to protect the VA secretary, and maybe even be in a position to pull out a gun to protect him, if he’s carrying furniture? Second, it’s additionally stupid because maybe that highly trained member of the staff doesn’t want to be used in that way.

In a short statement before a meeting of a Congressional subcommittee on the VA budget, Shulkin said he deeply regrets all the distraction. He said he’s made it clear to his staff that he has no tolerance for anything other than the business they have to do for VA. He didn’t mention the run to Home Depot or using his security staff to haul furniture.