slug - Darker than Pheonix, VA diverts vet suicide funding to hide public disclosure of it's

criminal negligence & civil liabilities in veteran suicides.

abstract:
For the past decade, if not longer, high level VA officials and their functionaries
have diverted tens of millions in taxpayer funding authorized by congress to
intervene in the pandemic of veteran's suicide. Instead of using these funds for
prevention & intervention, significant portions are being siphoned off to evade
disclosure in cases where demonstrably suicidal veterans presented themselves
at VA facilities, were denied service and then committed suicide, sometimes
within hours of the VA's betrayal.

investigative note :
Detailed FOIA compliant interrogatories are provided following the narrative in
this document. While primarily intended for the Office of the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, DoVA/OIG & DoVA/Comptroller, specific inquiries include
direction for corrobation that can be addressed to the following specific agencies,
GAO, DoJ/Comptroller, JCAHO, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs & it's
sub-committe on Oversight & Investigations.

keyword search for initial content confirmation
(CAMERON ANESTIS KY JEFF LUCEY MA USMC OIF VA VETERAN SUICIDE
AL GRASCH PSC)


narrative :
The sickening examples of VAMC Phoenix & Ft. Collins are but the latest in the
sorid history of VA bureaucrats who line their own pockets with smug impunity
while the veterans they swore to protect writhe in pain and then, die. As well
Phoenix has made clear the egregious lengths of illegality the VA will employ to
hide it's criminal malfeasance.

VA or private sector, any licensed mental health professional will affirm that they
have not only an ethical responsibility, they have a legal responsibility to
intervene when a patient presents with suicidal ideation or intention. Yet, as
specifically demonstrated in August 2009, when former Marine LCPL Anestis
(OIF) presented at a VA Mental Health Clinic with suicidal ideation & intention,
was evaluated and charted with said by a licensed VA mental health
professional, he was then refused intervention at that facility and ordered to
arrange his own transport to another VA facility. As ordered, he subsequently
presented at the second VA facility and was denied intervention a second time.
"Cam" Anestis then returned to his home and committed suicide.

What is the reaction of the VA in these cases? The same reaction as in the case
of OIF Marine CPL Jeff Lucey in 2004. Within hours the VA's DC Main Office
mobilizes their "risk management" version of a Legal/PAO SWAT team
specifically staffed to deal with these "incidents" and then dispatches the team to
the respective VAMC. However, the role of the "risk management" SWAT team is
not to determine what went wrong, who is responsible, how to avoid future
occurrences and finally to offer comfort to a grieving veteran's family in their time
of need, their function is clear, "disappear" the incident. The SWAT team is not
small and it stays on site until the incident is "contained". While primarily
comprised of VA attorneys, who have the responsibility to cast a shroud of
attorney client privilege over all the involved VA parties, the team also includes
document/IT specialists tasked to "scrub" the local VAMC paper/email trail and a
PAO specialist who quashes revelations in the local or national news media.
Most despicably, a duress hardened pair of "closers" are dispatched to lean on
the still stunned survivors. Whispering in tongues of the "feres doctrine", they
pressure the still grieving families to accept a "no fault, no talk" settlement.

The life of any veteran lost to VA negligence is a crime. While the suicides and
subsequently well coordinated cover ups by the VA in the cases of CPL
Lucey('04) and LCPL Anestis('09) are certainly examples these despicable
practices, there are neither isolated or "bookends". In light current events (note
the possible investigative link to VAMC-Phoenix Sharon Helman's "promotion" for
misreporting veteran suicide rates during her tenure at VAMC-Spokane) and
CDC/VA confirmed pandemic rates of veteran suicide, the VA's black hand in
dozens if not hundreds of these tragedies may be a horror that dwarfs even the
current "secret waiting list" revelations.

/ narrative ends /

investigative inquiries (structured for FOIA compliance)

Since 11Sept2001, how many settlement offers have been proffered in cases
that involved the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran,
irrespective of a VA assertion that said veteran was not entitled to VA services?

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry to the GAO, please provide the exact
whole dollar amount of each settlement in said cases, date the settlement was
paid to the veteran's family and the state of record in which the record of
settlement was filed.

Since 11Sept2001, how many cases has the VA been required to litigate when a
suit was brought by a veteran's family or heirs, that involved the potential of VA
culpability in the suicide of a veteran, irrespective of a VA assertion that said
veteran was not entitled to VA services?

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry to the GAO, please provide the exact
whole dollar amount of each judgment (enumerated by compensatory & punitive
damages) in said cases, date of the court's judgment against the VA, the
presiding jurist and jurisdiction of their court.

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry to the GAO and Dept of Justice/Office of
the Comptroller, between the dates of 11Sept2001 and (this date), in cases that
involved the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran, irrespective of
a VA assertion that said veteran was not entitled to VA services, and where the
services of the Dept. of Justice and the Office of the US Attorney represented the
interests of the federal government, what has been the whole dollar amount of
expenditures reported, estimated or conveyed by DoJ to the VA by DoJ in
defense of these cases?

Since 11Sept2001, has there been, or does there now exist an office or person
within the VA specifically tasked with the responsibility to deal with settlement
offers or litigation of cases when there is a potential of VA culpability in the
suicide of a veteran, irrespective of a VA assertion that said veteran was not
entitled to VA services.

Please provide a list of all titles and pay grades associated with this person or
office since 11Sept2001
Please provide a list of all titles, pay grades, organizational charts(names
redacted) of staff assigned in support of this person or office since 11Sept2001
Please provide a list of all outside services or counsel (legal, policy/public
affairs/admin) retained in support of this person or office since 11Sept2001.

Please provide copies of all legal opinions, excepting those explicitly & rightfully
enjoined under deliberative or attorney client privilege issued or promulgated by
said person or office, to any other person or office with the VA related in any way
to cases that involved the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran.

Please provide copies issued or promulgated by said person or office of any of
boiler plate settlement agreements to be proffered to surviving family members
that involved the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran.

Please provide copies of all legal opinions, excepting those explicitly & rightfully
enjoined under deliberative or attorney client privilege, issued or promulgated by
said person or office, to any other person or office with the VA related in any way
to cases that involved the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran
where the VA maintains that as justification that certain veterans are not entitled
to VA services.

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry & audit request to the GAO, please
provide the exact whole dollar amount expended by the VA in compensation,
bonuses, travel expenditures, per diem et al for all persons assigned to said
office since 11Sept2001.

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry & audit request to the GAO, please
provide the exact whole dollar amount expended by the VA in compensation,
bonuses, travel expenditures, per diem for all persons retained, contracted or
outsourced to support said office since 11Sept2001.

As will be confirmed by separate inquiry to the GAO and in accordance with GAO
policy, please provide all details to the level of line item specification that address
the budget of this office and the relevant CBO line items used in the funding of
this office.

Please provide copies of all VA policies, directives, guidance, communications
strategies, "check lists", "punch lists" et al promulgated between the dates of
11Sept2001 and (this date), related in any way to cases that involved the
potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran.

Please provide copies of all VA OIG (names/identdata may be redacted in
accordance with HIPPA) reports or findings between the dates of 11Sept2001
and (this date), related in any way to cases that involved the potential of VA
culpability in the suicide of a veteran, irrespective of a VA assertion that said
veteran was not entitled to VA services.

Please provide copies of all JCAHO (names/identdata may be redacted in
accordance with HIPPA) reports or findings between the dates of 11Sept2001
and (this date), related in any way to cases that involved the potential of VA
culpability in the suicide of a veteran, irrespective of a VA assertion that said
veteran was not entitled to VA services.

Please provide copies of all VA responses to Congressional inquiries
(names/identdata may be redacted in accordance with HIPPA) between the
dates of 11Sept2001 and (this date), related in any way to cases that involved
the potential of VA culpability in the suicide of a veteran, irrespective of a VA
assertion that said veteran was not entitled to VA services.