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Investigation finds VA Secretary misused funds, made false statements

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

An investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs' Inspector General found that VA Secretary David Shulkin improperly accepted Wimbledon tickets and used government funds to pay for his wife's trip to Europe. The investigation, first reported by the Washington Post, also found that Shulkin's chief of staff, Vivieca Wright Simpson, altered an email and misled ethics officials to gain approval for the trip.

Why it matters: Shulkin is one of several Trump administration officials facing criticism for their improper use of taxpayer funds for travel, an issue that forced Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to resign last September. Shulkin was nominated by Trump for his current position, but served as Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health from 2015 to 2017 under President Obama.

In response to an Axios request for comment, the VA's office wrote the following:

Accountability and transparency are important values at VA under President Trump, and we look forward to reviewing the report and its recommendations in more detail before determining an appropriate response.
— VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour

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The big picture: Rescuing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is near the top of Biden's foreign policy priority list. He says he'd re-enter the deal once Iran returns to compliance, and use it as the basis on which to negotiate a broader and longer-lasting deal with Iran.

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  • Why it matters: The party's rising left sees Harris as the best hope for penetrating Joe Biden's older, largely white inner circle.

If Biden wins, Harris will become the first woman, first Black American and first Indian American to serve as a U.S. vice president — and would instantly be seen as the first in line for the presidency should Biden decide against seeking a second term.

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