A Dozen VA Staffers Improperly Accessed Vance, Walz Medical Records
Investigators found that at least a dozen Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees improperly accessed the medical records of vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz and J.D. Vance over the summer, The Washington Post…
Investigators found that at least a dozen Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees improperly accessed the medical records of vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz and J.D. Vance over the summer, The Washington Post reported.
The behavior uncovered by VA investigators potentially violates federal privacy laws and is the subject of a criminal investigation, according to the Post. Officials have notified both campaigns about the breaches, which reportedly happened in the VA’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA), anonymous sources familiar with the investigation told the Post.
The VA’s Office of the Inspector General has provided federal prosecutors with evidence pertaining to the actions of several VHA employees, including a physician and a contractor, who spent “extended time” viewing the medical records, according to the Post. The motivations of the VA employees who improperly reviewed the records remain unknown, though some indicated they wanted to look at them out of curiosity given that the candidates’ military service records have played a part in the presidential race.