Government and Regulations
There may soon be a new sheriff at the VA. On Friday, President Obama nominated lawyer Michael J. Missal to fill the inspector general (IG) role permanently.
This long-awaited nomination has been met primarily with deep sighs of relief by both Congress members and VA whistleblowers; the most recent IG, George Opfer, retired in December 2013. Just 4 months later, the “wait-time scandal” broke at VA, and reports of corruption and substandard investigations have since persisted.
Related: VA Falling Behind on Backlog According to the OIG
Linda A. Halliday assumed the position of deputy IG following the resignation of former interim IG Richard Griffin, who stepped down in June amid criticism that he interfered with VA investigations.
Related: VA Hospital Deficiencies Contributed to Marine’s Death
This is not Mr. Missal’s first run at federal investigations. In 2007, Mr. Missal was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as examiner in the bankruptcy proceedings of subprime loan specialist New Century Financial Corp, which was one of the first major collapses of the recent U.S. housing crisis. According to the DOJ, Mr. Missal was tasked to “…investigate any and all accounting and financial statement irregularities, errors, or misstatements,…any possible post-petition unauthorized use of cash collateral by the debtor, and otherwise perform the duties of an examiner.”
Related: VHA Under Harsh Criticism From OIG, GAO
The White House said in a statement, “Throughout these and dozens of other high-profile and significant investigations, Missal’s work and reports have consistently received widespread acclaim.”
