So why would that implicate Byrne?James Byrne, the deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, was fired Monday after holding the post for less than five months.
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said he terminated Byrne due to a loss in confidence in him.
“Today, I dismissed VA Deputy Secretary James Byrne due to loss of confidence in Mr. Byrne’s ability to carry out his duties,” Wilkie said in the statement. “This decision is effective immediately.”
Byrne, 55, [...] previously served as the department’s general counsel, leading the VA’s legal team, for about two years. Byrne was confirmed as deputy secretary by the Senate in a vote of 81-11.
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Trump’s administration has gone through four deputy secretaries at the VA, with two of them in temporary acting positions. The Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations all had two deputy VA secretaries across both of their terms.
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The news outlet Axios, citing three unnamed sources, reported that Byrne’s ousting was due to frustration from the White House on how the VA handled an investigation into a claim by Andrea Goldstein, a House staff member who said she was sexually assaulted at the VA hospital in Washington D.C.
“That is not true. James Byrne’s dismissal has nothing to do with that,” VA spokeswoman Christina Mandreucci wrote in an email.
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Goldstein wrote an article for the website Jezebel, which was posted online Monday shortly before Byrne’s termination became publicly known. The article blasted Wilkie for shrugging off her assault and strongly implying it was a fabrication.
Stripes
And we look forward to your report.Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said the questions lingering over Byrne’s sudden ousting need to be answered.
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“Secretary Wilkie has agreed to meet with me to discuss this leadership change in detail, and I look forward to speaking with him.”
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