Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told the House Judiciary Committee the investigation into thousands of military veterans enduring long wait times for VA medical care with Congress opened a criminal investigation into a Department of Veterans Affairs reeling from allegations of falsified records and inappropriate scheduling practices, according to The Associated Press.
"We're working with the VA IG to follow it wherever the facts take us," Comey said in response to a question about the FBI's role in the matter, the AP reported.
The inspector general said in a report last month that 1,700 veterans seeking treatment at the Phoenix VA hospital were "at risk of being lost or forgotten," according to the AP. The VA has confirmed that at least 35 veterans died while awaiting treatment in Phoenix, although officials say they do not know whether the deaths were related to long waiting times for appointments.
Comey's remarks came as the Senate was poised to vote as soon as Wednesday on a measure making it easier for veterans who have encountered delays getting initial visits to receive VA-paid treatment from local doctors instead, the AP reported.
The Justice Department has previously said that federal prosecutors were reviewing documents from the inspector general to determine whether to launch a full-fledged investigation, according to the AP.
The involvement of the FBI represents an escalation into concerns of possible criminal conduct by VA employees, though it remains unclear whether investigators will find any basis for prosecution, the AP reported.
Richard Griffin, the VA's acting inspector general, issued a scathing report last month that confirmed allegations of excessive waiting time at VA hospitals and inappropriate scheduling practices, according to the AP. He recently told lawmakers his investigators were probing for wrongdoing at 69 agency medical facilities, up from 42 two weeks earlier.
The VA, which serves almost 9 million veterans, has been reeling from mounting evidence that workers falsified reports on wait times for medical appointments in an effort to mask frequent, long delays, the AP reported.
An internal audit released this week showed that more than 57,000 new applicants for care have had to wait at least three months for initial appointments and an additional 64,000 newly enrolled vets who requested appointments never got them, according to the AP.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned May 30, but the situation remains a continuing embarrassment for Obama and a potential political liability for congressional Democrats seeking re-election in November, the AP reported.
