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?
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddy Used His “Shadow” Sway Over the VA to Promote His Comic Book Empire
Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter arranged for comic book characters to ring the NYSE closing bell with the VA secretary in 2017, according to a new government audit. Perlmutter has denied benefiting from his role as an informal adviser to President Trump.
Did He Talk About Her? VA Secretary Changes His Story Amid Allegations He Sought Dirt on House Staffer.
Robert Wilkie is under investigation after a complaint that he sought information to discredit a House staffer who said she was sexually assaulted in a VA hospital. Wilkie denied discussing her with Rep. Dan Crenshaw. But an email indicates he did.
VA Secretary Under Investigation After Complaint He Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Said She’d Been Assaulted
The agency’s internal watchdog told lawmakers about the probe after ProPublica unearthed the allegations against Secretary Robert Wilkie.
Trump Endorsed a Risky Antidepressant for Veterans. Lawmakers Want to Know if His Mar-a-Lago Pals Had a Stake in the Drugmaker.
House Democrats requested emails and financial records as they investigate why the president told the VA to “corner the market” on a Johnson & Johnson drug.
VA Secretary Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Reported Sexual Assault in a VA Hospital, Complaint Says
VA chief Robert Wilkie called a House policy advisor’s assault allegation “unsubstantiated” even though an independent investigation found it was not.
For-Profit Colleges Tap a Fox News Host to Influence Trump
Presidential confidant Pete Hegseth is working to defend a lucrative loophole.
Trump Appointees Used “Whistleblower Protection” Law to Target Whistleblowers, Review Finds
A new government report confirms ProPublica’s coverage on the Trump administration’s misuse of the law.
How Donald Trump Turned to a Comics Titan to Shape the VA
In a new book and an interview with ProPublica, former VA Secretary David Shulkin describes how Marvel Entertainment’s Ike Perlmutter and two associates with no government experience exerted influence over millions of veterans.
“No Comment”: Emails Show the VA Took No Action to Spare Veterans From a Harsh Trump Immigration Policy
The VA’s approach differs sharply from the Pentagon’s, which won an exemption for active-duty members of the military.
Trump’s VA Firing Spree Falters in Court
Rather than defend a law that the president loves, the VA will reinstate a hospital director whom it twice tried to fire.
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.
