An investigation into mismanagement and misconduct at the Department of Veterans Affairs revealed that the agency paid Philadelphia Director Diana Rubens $288,000 in "relocation payments" to move 140 miles from Washington, D.C. to her new home, the agency confirmed Wednesday.
"The government shouldn't be in the business of doling out hundreds of thousands in cash to extremely well-compensated executives just to move less than three hours down the road," said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
But VA spokesman Steve Westerfeld said Wednesday that such a high payout was entirely appropriate since Rubens "is one of [the VA's] most experienced and highly skilled senior leaders, having led the operations of VBA's entire field organization for many years."
Federal agencies are allowed to pay a number of costs associated with reassigning an employee, including the "costs of house-hunting, moving, terminating leases, and a per-diem rate for meals and temporary housing for an employee and his or her family," according to Westerfeld.
But as The Daily Caller notes, Rubens' moving costs were nearly 160 percent of her base pay for all of last year, leaving many wondering what she spent that money on.
"For VA to pay such an outrageous amount in relocation expenses at a time when the department is continually telling Congress and taxpayers it needs more money raises questions about VA's commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparency and true reform," Miller continued.
The investigation also found that Rubens failed to "hold staff accountable" for altering results of internal quality reviews. The audit found that reviews had been altered in 53 separate cases, reported the Inquirer.
This isn't the first time Rubens has been criticized over money she's been paid by the VA.
The Center for Investigative Reporting noted that in 2011, Rubens received a bonus of more than $23,000 despite patient backlogs, which she was tasked with managing, increasing by 300,000. Rubens was also reported last year to have received more than $97,000 in bonuses between 2007 and 2011, even though claims processing times doubled to 325 days under her management.
