Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough requesting information regarding the department’s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations at the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Johnson City, Tennessee.
The department’s probe into VAMC began earlier this year when the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs under Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL-12) began investigating allegations brought by whistleblowers of sexual misconduct among taxpayer-funded employees at the medical facility in July.
As of December 4, according to the House committee, the department’s investigation into the matter remains ongoing and senior leaders at the facility who were aware of the sexually explicit activity remain employed by the department, despite information from the department confirming that “sexual relationships and misconduct did occur on VA property.”
In a Tuesday letter sent to Secretary McDonough (pictured above), Blackburn requested an update on the status of the ongoing investigation, how many allegations have been made against the Mountain Home VAMC in recent years, what corrective actions will be taken, and how many employees have been terminated or reassigned as a result of the investigation.
Blackburn said it is “beyond reprehensible” that employees at the Johnson City facility who were involved in the sexual misconduct have yet to be held “meaningfully accountable for their actions,” further expressing concern regarding the “leadership and oversight failures that may have allowed such misconduct to occur.”
“The absence of clear answers, coupled with media reports, has caused unnecessary distress among the Mountain Home veteran community. The VA must act urgently to address these concerns. Transparency and accountability are not optional—they are essential to restoring trust and ensuring my constituents feel that they can expect this facility to provide them with the highest standard of care,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn requested answers to her questions by Thursday, January 16.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
