VA employees improperly accessed JD Vance and Tim Walz’s medical records, leading to criminal investigation: report

At least a dozen U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employees improperly accessed the medical records of two vice presidential candidates, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, over the summer, according to a report.

Those employees are under criminal investigation for potentially violating federal privacy laws, The Washington Post reported. The unauthorized views came from Veterans Health Administration employees and were uncovered by Veterans Affairs investigators who notified the Vance and Walz campaigns, sources familiar with the investigation told the Post.

It is the first time since Democrat Al Gore and Republican Jack Kemp in the 1996 election that veterans have been the vice presidential nominees of both parties.

Law enforcement officials told the Post that VA Inspector General Michael Missal’s office turned over evidence to federal prosecutors that related to several health system employees, including a doctor and a contractor, who spent a “prolonged period of time” accessing the medical records of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala to see Harris’ vice president.

Fox News Media will present special live programming of the Vance-Walz debate

The possible motive for accessing the medical records is under investigation, and investigators are still trying to determine whether Vance and Walz’s information was shared as a result of the breaches, the Post reported.

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“We have reported allegations to law enforcement that VA employees may have improperly accessed veterans records,” VA spokesman Terrence Hayes said in a statement to Fox News Digital about the report. “We take the privacy of the veterans we serve very seriously and have strict policies in place to protect their records. Any attempt by VA employees to unlawfully access veteran records is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Hayes referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department for further questions.

The VA employees under investigation, including the doctor and the contractor, accessed the medical records through their VA computers and did so largely from their government offices, the Post reported. Some of the employees in question reportedly told investigators they were simply curious about Vance and Walz’s files because both candidates had defended their military records during the campaign.

JD Vance Accuses Tim Walz of ‘Liing’ About Military Service: ‘Stolen Valor Trash’

Walz, in particular, faced criticism for leaving his 24-year career in the Army National Guard to run for Congress months before his unit deployed to Iraq.

Vance, who served in the U.S. Marines for four years and was deployed to Iraq for about six months in 2005, has accused Walz of being “dishonest” when it came to his deployment to combat zones.

Law enforcement officials told the Post that the VA employees under investigation did not have access to disability compensation records, which contain more security protocols than health information.

A source at VA shared with Fox News Digital an internal memo sent on August 30, 2024 by VA Secretary Denis McDonough that “maintains our commitment to protecting privacy.”

The message reminded VA employees that veteran information “should only be accessed when necessary to perform officially authorized and assigned duties as an employee, contractor, volunteer or other personnel.” The secretary said, “It is strictly prohibited to inspect a veteran’s records out of curiosity or concern – or for any purpose not directly related to officially approved and assigned duties.”

The memo also warned VA employees that “failure to comply with these requirements may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, as well as referral to law enforcement for the imposition of civil penalties and criminal prosecution.”

Original source of the article: VA employees improperly accessed JD Vance and Tim Walz’s medical records, leading to criminal investigation: report