A dozen VA employees improperly accessed Vance and Walz’s medical records, leading to an investigation

At least a dozen Department of Veterans Affairs employees improperly accessed the medical records of JD Vance and Tim Walz, and now officials have launched a medical investigation.

A breach of the records of the Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates, both military veterans, could amount to a violation of federal medical privacy laws.

Accordingly, VA employees accessed Vance’s documents about two months ago The Washington Postwho first reported the incident. The VA Inspector General’s Office contacted both campaigns to alert them to the breach.

Terrence Hayes, a spokesman for the VA, said in a statement The Independent that the agency “reported to law enforcement allegations that VA personnel may have improperly accessed veterans’ records.”

“We take the privacy of the veterans we serve very seriously and have strict policies in place to protect their records,” Hayes added. “Any attempt by VA employees to unlawfully access veteran records is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The agency referred The Independent Please contact the Department of Justice for further comment.

Vance spent four years in the Marines and completed a tour in Iraq in 2005 as a combat correspondent. Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years and retired in 2005 before running for Congress.

VA officials informed both campaigns of the discovery that employees of the agency’s Veterans Health Administration health division were not authorized to view their records The postciting people familiar with the investigation who spoke anonymously.

VA Inspector General Michael Missal’s office has reportedly turned over evidence to federal prosecutors about the employees, which include a doctor and a contractor, who, according to law enforcement officials they spoke with, “spent an extended period of time” accessing medical records check The post.

Investigators are now trying to determine why this was the case and whether some of these records were shared as a result of the breach.

It is unclear what medical information was reviewed.

An Aug. 30 memo from VA Secretary Denis McDonough to VA employees about the importance of medical privacy said veterans’ information “should only be accessed when necessary to perform officially authorized and assigned duties as an employee, contractor.” , volunteers or other personnel is required”.

“Inspection of a veteran’s records out of curiosity or concern – or for any purpose not directly related to officially approved and assigned duties – is strictly prohibited,” the memo shared with the Independent said.

Failure to comply with these requirements “may result in disciplinary action, including removal, as well as referral to law enforcement for the imposition of civil penalties and criminal prosecution,” the memo said.

News of the breach came just hours before Vance and Walz are set to take part in what is likely to be their only debate before the presidential election.

The Ohio senator and Minnesota governor will face off on October 1 at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Moderators include: CBS Evening News Presenter and editor-in-chief Norah O’Donnell and Face the nation Presenter and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.