Wednesday, August 19, 2009

VAOIG Substantiates Abuse of Authority in OIT

Redacted Report
Report No. 09-01123-195
August 18, 2009
VA Office of Inspector General Washington, DC 20420

Summary
"We substantiated that Ms. Katherine Adair Martinez, Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Information Protection and Risk Management (IPRM), Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), misused her position, abused her authority, and engaged in prohibited personnel practices when she influenced a VA contractor and later her VA subordinates to employ Ms. Laura Nash, Executive Assistant, IPRM. Further, we substantiated that Ms. Martinez misused her position when she took advantage of an inappropriate personal relationship with the former Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, Mr. Robert Howard, to move her duty station to Florida even though she spent almost 60 percent of her time at VA Central Office on official travel. We also substantiated that Ms. Martinez failed to provide proper contract oversight and did not properly fulfill her duties as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). In addition, we substantiated that Ms. Kathryn Maginnis, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS), IPRM, abused her authority and ________(b)(6) and __________, IPRM, engaged in prohibited personnel practices in the filling of four GS-15 positions."

VAOIG Confirms Neptoism in VA Office Information and Technology

Parts of the Report have been Redacted by the VAOIG

Report No. 09-01123-196
August 18, 2009
VA Office of Inspector General Washington, DC 20420

SUBJECT: Administrative Investigation - Nepotism, Abuse of Authority, Misuse
OI&T, Washington, DC (2009-1123-IQ-0049) of Position, Improper Hiring, and Improperly Administered Awards,

Summary
We substantiated that Ms. Jennifer S. Duncan, former Executive Assistant to the former Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, Mr. Robert Howard, engaged in nepotism when she improperly advocated for the hiring and advancement of within VA Office of Information and Technology (OI&T). We also substantiated that she abused her authority and engaged in prohibited personnel practices when she improperly hired an acquaintance and friend and at a rate above the minimum rate of pay. Further, we found that Ms. Duncan’s _________, misused her own position for the private gain of . We also substantiated that __________; that they improperly utilized the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) and the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to appoint Ms. Duncan’s family and friends; and that they were not fiscally responsible when they improperly administered awards.
____________, misused his position for the private gain of his and when he advocated for their VA appointments and (b)(6) his above the minimum rate of pay. We further substantiated that did not testify freely and honestly in matters relating to his employment and that he failed to properly discharge the duties of his position. Additionally, we substantiated that OI&T Managers improperly authorized academic degree funding for Ms. Duncan’s family and friends and for ________".

Surgeon Involved with Bone Growth Product Resigns

Dr. Timothy R. Kuklo, a former Army surgeon, was accused of falsifying a study on a bone growth product used on severely injured Iraq war veterans and has resigned his teaching position at Washington University in St. Louis, a spokeswoman said Tuesday night.

Medtronic, a maker of the bone growth product Infuse, also suspended his consulting contract. The company paid him nearly $800,000 the last few years.

“Dr. Kuklo has agreed to voluntarily resign from the university, effective September 30, 2009,” Joni Westerhouse, a spokeswoman for the medical school, said in an e-mail message Tuesday. “Dr. Kuklo will have no clinical, research, or educational duties for the University between now and that date.”


Full Article:
Surgeon Tied to Bone Product Inquiry Resigns

By DUFF WILSON
Published: August 19, 2009