VA Secretary Deems Ousting Of His Undersecretary As Just ‘A Simple Business Decision’ And ‘Nothing Personal’
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said his former undersecretary James Byrne "was not jelling with other members of the team.” Byrne was a popular leader within the veterans community, however, so Wilkie is being forced to defend his decision to let him go. He tied Byrne’s firing to an effort across the Department of Veterans Affairs to hold poor performers accountable.
The Washington Post:
VA's Wilkie Calls Deputy's Sudden Firing A 'Simple Business Decision' But Provides Few Answers
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on Wednesday defended his abrupt firing this week of his deputy secretary, calling the dismissal a “simple business decision” to oust a leader “who was not jelling with other members of the team.” Wilkie also said he wants to work with authorities to review the case of a senior Democratic congressional aide who said she was sexually assaulted at the VA Medical Center in Washington. The secretary, whose characterization of the allegations has been criticized, said he was working to get more answers about how the case was handled. (Rein, 2/5)
Military.Com:
VA Secretary Wilkie On Firing His Deputy: 'Nothing Personal,' Just Business
"It was in the best interests of the organization" to remove him from his deputy secretary post, Wilkie said at a National Press Club news conference. Wilkie did not give additional details on what made Byrne a poor fit for the team, but noted he wished him well and called him a "man of great distinction." (Sisk, 2/5)
In other news on veterans —
Miami Herald:
VA Asks Sick Veterans From ‘Black Goo’ Base To Come Forward
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie acknowledged publicly Wednesday that service members who deployed to a Uzbekistan base used after the 9/11 attacks may have been exposed to toxic substances, asking for them to come forward to get help. “Several years ago our soldiers, sailors, airmen in particular started seeing ‘black goo’ come up from the ground. We are working with the Department of Defense to get to the bottom of that,” said Wilkie, who was speaking at the National Press Club and took questions from reporters. (Copp, 2/5)
