Press Releases

Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), released the following statement after his oversight team visited the Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Tennessee following disturbing allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and inappropriate interpersonal relationships at the facility. These concerns were first brought to the Chairman by Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, in July, and later confirmed by whistleblowers. Since then, Chairman Bost has sent three letters to Secretary McDonough on the situation at the Mountain Home VA.

“For months I have been pressuring the Biden-Harris administration to give Congress some answers on what is going on at the Mountain Home VA following disturbing allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and inappropriate relationships that were brought to my attention earlier this year. After months of little to no information and waiting, enough was enough,” said Chairman Bost. “That’s why this week I deployed my oversight team to investigate the situation firsthand and meet with facility leaders and VA’s workforce on the ground who are reeling from this months-long incident. While those alleged to have committed the despicable conduct are no longer employed with VA, accountability was, as usual, a day late and a dollar short. Further, evidence suggests facility leadership ignored these serious allegations for months. This is unacceptable. I urge VA to prioritize its investigation into why facility leadership did not immediately act on these allegations, so that Congress, VA’s workforce, and most importantly, our nation’s veterans have the answers they deserve. Going forward, I will continue to fight to urge this administration to quickly and permanently hold failing VA employees accountable – for good.”

Under Chairman Bost’s leadership, the Committee has repeatedly uncovered VA’s mismanagement of serious misconduct allegations, including allegations of sexual harassment and improper interpersonal relationships, through oversight visits and conversations with whistleblowers. In addition to the Mountain Home VA allegations, recent sexual harassment and improper interpersonal relationship allegations mishandled by VA and brought to light by the Committee, include allegations against leadership within the Atlanta VA police force, and allegations against senior leaders within VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI). In both instances, leaders at VA allegedly ignored sexual harassment and other misconduct for months. With the recent Mountain Home VA allegations, and after meeting with employees on the ground, it appears VA leadership may have, yet again, failed to adequately address serious allegations. To read the first letter that was sent to Secretary McDonough on these allegations in July, click here. To read the second letter that was sent in August, click here. To read the third letter on the investigation into Mountain Home, click here.