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House panel issues subpoenas to 5 high-ranking VA officials

Published  October 21, 2015 1:12pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

WASHINGTON- AP - A House committee has voted to issue subpoenas to five high-ranking officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs after the officials did not show up at a hearing Wednesday on alleged manipulation of the agency's hiring system.

The department's acting inspector general says two senior VA officials forced regional managers to accept job transfers -- then stepped into the vacant positions themselves, keeping their pay while reducing their responsibilities.

The report said the officials also misused VA's moving-expense system to claim more $400,000 in questionable moving expenses.

Diana Rubens, director of the Philadelphia regional office for the Veterans Benefits Administration, and Kimberly Graves, director of the St. Paul regional office for the VBA, face possible criminal prosecution.

Rubens and Graves skipped Wednesday's hearing, as did three other VA officials.