Following the announcement by the VA inspector general that his office is investigating possible misconduct at 26 VA facilities around the country, President Barack Obama promised to swiftly root out anyone responsible.
"If these allegations prove to be true, it is dishonorable, it is a disgrace and I will not tolerate it. Period," Mr. Obama said during a White House press conference. “I will not stand for it. Not as commander-in-chief, but also not as an American," he added. "None of us should.”
The president provided no indication of whether he would seek the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki over the ordeal, though he noted that anyone found to have manipulated or falsified records at a VA facility "will be punished.”
In one of the allegations at a Phoenix hospital, 40 veterans reportedly died while waiting for care and staff rigged record-keeping to cover up long wait times.
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