Inside Trump’s VA
Investigating Trump’s Promises to America’s Veterans
President Donald Trump made appeals to America’s military veterans central to his campaign. How is his administration delivering on those promises?
VA’s Private Care Program Headed for Tech Trouble, Review Finds
“These people are out of their minds,” one VA doctor said.
Trump Mar-a-Lago Buddy Wrote Policy Pitch. The President Sent It to VA Chief.
A handwritten note to Trump, addressed “Dear King,” presents another instance of access and influence for Mar-a-Lago associates.
The VA Is Paying for a Top Official’s Cross-Country Commute
Darin Selnick, the architect of the Trump administration’s controversial new policies on private health care for veterans, traveled to Washington from his home in California twice a month at taxpayer expense.
“Doubling Down”: With Private Care Push, Trump’s VA Bucks Lawmakers and Some Veterans Groups
The administration proposed new rules on paying for more veterans to see private doctors, but the lack of details makes the fiscal impact unclear.
VA Was “Taken Advantage Of” by Paying Billions in Fees, Secretary Says
Officials vowed to improve the department’s private care program. But lawmakers voiced concerns about higher costs and worse health care for veterans.
The VA’s Private Care Program Gave Companies Billions and Vets Longer Waits
Trump wants to supersize a program that spent almost a quarter of its funds on overhead.
How We Crunched the Numbers on the VA’s Private Care Program
ProPublica and PolitiFact used VA data to follow the money meant for veterans’ private health care.
VA Shadow Rulers Had Sway Over Contracting and Budgeting
New disclosures and investigations are straining the three Trump associates’ relationship with the new VA secretary.
Trump Administration Defends Legality of VA Shadow Rulers
In a court filing, government lawyers argued that a Watergate-era sunshine law doesn’t apply to three Trump associates influencing the VA from Mar-a-Lago.
Trump Administration Plots Costly Private-Care Expansion for Veterans
The plan sets up a clash with Democrats, who say the administration is thwarting congressional intent and will starve the VA health system to pay for private care.
The VA Shadow Rulers’ Signature Program Is “Trending Towards Red”
A $10 billion technology upgrade championed by Jared Kushner and the Mar-a-Lago trio is at risk of failing the VA’s 7 million patients.
GOP Senator Pushed VA to Use Unproven “Brainwave Frequency” Treatment
The Trump administration has welcomed experimental procedures for veterans’ mental health, even though doctors urge caution.
Veterans Group Sues to Block VA Shadow Rulers
A new lawsuit challenges the legality of a secret Mar-a-Lago troika after ProPublica revealed its influence over the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Democrats Vow Investigation of VA’s Shadow Rulers After ProPublica Story
“This situation reeks of corruption and cronyism,” said the top Democrat on the House veterans committee.
The Shadow Rulers of the VA
How Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter and two other Mar-a-Lago cronies are secretly shaping the Trump administration’s veterans policies.
Steve Cohen Is Spending Millions to Help Veterans. Why Are People Angry?
The hedge fund billionaire’s efforts to assist veterans with PTSD have thrust him into the fight over privatizing the VA and led some people to question his motives.
White House Chief of Staff Contradicts White House Claim on VA Shakeup
John Kelly told veterans groups last week that President Trump decided to remove VA secretary David Shulkin, despite the administration’s insistence that Shulkin resigned. The dispute could have legal implications for VA policies.
The Trump Administration’s Campaign to Weaken Civil Service Ramps Up at the VA
Firings surged at the Veterans Affairs Department last year in the wake of a new law. Now the president wants to replicate that legislation across the federal government.
