Trump loyalists purge VA of longtime staffers who don’t support agenda: report

Officials within the Department of Veterans Affairs have moved to root out staffers who are believed to be disloyal to President Trump and his agenda, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The news outlet reported that more than a dozen people have been reassigned from leadership positions ahead of Robert Wilkie’s likely installment as head of the agency. Some of those recently reassigned employees had been with the department for decades, while others were Trump appointees.

A VA spokesman told the Post that Wilkie has not played a role in the changes.

{mosads}

The Post reported that acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke has largely led the charge in getting rid of staffers who are not considered loyal. A group of Democrats wrote a letter to O’Rourke after the Post published its story, calling his actions “reckless.”

Wilkie is awaiting confirmation to head the agency, which has not had a permanent leader since David Shulkin was pushed out of the role in March.

Shulkin’s tenure was marred by an inspector general report that found he improperly used taxpayer dollars during a trip to Europe.

In addition, Shulkin reportedly sought to root out agency staffers who opposed his policies and defy his leadership.