Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald has admitted that he lied to a homeless veteran about serving in the special operations forces, a conversation that was caught on camera earlier this year.
The controversial exchange, broadcast on "The CBS Evening News," happened last month when a homeless man told McDonald that he had served in the military's elite special operations forces, Newsmax reported.
"Special forces? What years? I was in special forces," McDonald, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975 and completed Army Ranger training before being assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division until his retirement in 1980, excitedly responded during his tour in Los Angeles as part of the VA's effort to locate and house homeless veterans.
Immediately catching the misstatement, The Huffington Post reported that while McDonald was formally recognized as a graduate of Ranger School, he never actually served in a Ranger battalion or other special operations unit, which include the Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs.
"I have no excuse. I was not in special forces," McDonald, a retired corporate executive who took over the VA in June, told the website, adding that he "wanted to clear up the confusion I probably created - I did create."
"While I was in Los Angeles, engaging a homeless individual to determine his veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military. He responded that he had served in special forces. I incorrectly stated that I had been in special forces. That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement," he said in a statement released by the VA on Monday.
"As I thought about it later, I knew that this was wrong," McDonald added. "I reacted spontaneously and I reacted wrongly, [with] no intent in any way to describe my record any different than it is."
While Republican lawmakers criticized McDonald's false claims on Tuesday, they stated that the focus should still be on reforming the department, according to Fox News.
"It was wrong. I thought, 'What a boneheaded statement - is this what we want from our senior government officials?'" said Retired Army Col. Gary Bloomberg, a former senior special forces commander.
"After a rough couple of weeks that also included inflated claims of accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I hope Sec. McDonald will redouble his efforts to ensure his statements -- and those of all VA officials -- are completely accurate. This is the only way the department can regain the trust of the veterans and taxpayers it is charged with serving," House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration accepted McDonald's explanation.
"Secretary McDonald has apologized for the misstatement and noted that he never intended to misrepresent his military service," the White House said in a statement. "We take him at his word and expect that this will not impact the important work he's doing to promote the health and well-being of our nation's veterans."
