Benjamin Krause46 mins · Minneapolis, MN · Why was Allison Hickey seemingly covering for Diana Rubens for as long as she did? Did her trust in Rubens and Graves lead to her resignation?http://bit.ly/1LjrMPi
I WENT TO HER FOR HELP, SHE DESTROYED MY CASE…PAID OFF MY ATTORNEY TO SILENCE HIM, HAVE THE CHECKS TO PROVE IT. MY NEIGHBOR JUST WON A LARGE SETTLEMENT WITH THE VA, YOUNG MAN, DIED OF A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK, 5G ANTENNA RIGHT OUTSIDE HIS WINDOW
Why Was Allison Hickey Covering For Rubens, Graves?On Friday, Under Secretary Allison Hickey stepped down just prior to a House Committee hearing, October 21, 2015. That hearing is about allegations of pay fraud by Veterans Benefits Administration executives approved by Hickey.DISABLEDVETERANS.ORG|BY BENJAMIN KRAUSE
On Friday, Under Secretary Allison Hickey stepped down just prior to a House Committee hearing, October 21, 2015. That hearing is about allegations of pay fraud by Veterans Benefits Administration executives approved by Hickey.
Late Friday afternoon, the House Committee was scrambling to figure out how to subpoena Hickey to ensure she shows up to account for the pay scandal. Lawmakers no doubt want to question Hickey over the undeserved pay incentives she approved and interference she was running for Diana Rubens and Kim Graves.
Many may be unfamiliar with bean counter type games where nepotism allows pay incentives that are unjustifiable, but this gaming of the system goes back to at least 2007 and probably much earlier.The real story here is VA has been pushing forward to create its current electronic claims system using insurance technology since 1993. Documents in the Clinton Library are very insightful on the subject. It is highly likely that leaders like Allison Hickey refused to terminate longtime VA bureaucrats involved in VBA reforms to avoid losing institutional knowledge that only they have.
This article is intended to put a call out for information from readers. Below are some details to see what we can shake loose from the tree.
RELATED: Execs Who Received Bonuses Also Approved Them (2007)
In 2007, Kim Graves’ husband Mike Walcoff voted to give healthy bonuses to himself and his wife. Later, Walcoff went on to become the acting Under Secretary of VBA before Hickey took over. At that time, he arranged for Graves to receive a promotion to Director of VBA Eastern Area Office.
RELATED: Michael Walcoff VA Executive Biography
Back then, numerous VBA executives voted to award themselves huge bonuses despite failing to craft an accurate budget. It was $1.3 billion short. Some of the names back then are also resurfacing today that came back to bite Allison Hickey. Kim Graves was a director at the time and benefactor of a substantial bonus while her husband, Mike Walcoff, voted on his and her bonuses that year. Apparently nothing came of the pay scandal then.
RELATED: VBA Compensation Report From Booz Allen Hamilton (2009)
Walcoff went on to become the acting under secretary for benefits in 2010 before Allison Hickey took over. Allegations have recently surfaced that Walcoff was key in his wife receiving a promotion to VBA Eastern Area for five years before she took a demotion to run St. Paul RO while taking a pay reduction.
Graves recently received $125,000 as a moving incentive to take a demotion for a position in St. Paul, MN, that she personally created.
Likewise, Diana Rubens accepted $280,000 as a moving incentive. She also created a position for her partner so they could move together. VA OIG apparently investigated the nepotism but found no wrongdoing.
Before this current scandal, Rubens was linked to a spying scheme in Philadelphia Regional Office of House Committee staffers. They also destroyed numerous Federal records related to veterans claims and blocked attempts by Congress to investigate.
RELATED: Veterans Affairs stonewalls, spies on those investigating it
Typical VA nepotism? Will the House Committee on Veterans Affairs get Allison Hickey to show up this week?
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