Federal Government Lauds GAP Whistleblower for Veterans Affairs Disclosures

Brandon Coleman, a Government Accountability Project (GAP) client who made national news when he exposed illicit practices at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has been recognized for his role as a whistleblower.

On December 5, Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner issued a issued a special report to President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress regarding Coleman’s whistleblower disclosures, indicating that they led to measurable improvements in the way suicidal patients receive treatment at the VA facility in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to a recent press release, Coleman and a fellow whistleblower helped save the lives of veterans by speaking up about the substandard level of care offered at the Phoenix facility in 2014. Lerner also encouraged the Phoenix VA to continue working with whistleblowers so that these types of improvements continue to occur.

Problems with VA facilities a national concern

While the issues surrounding the poor treatment at the Phoenix VA received the most national media attention, many other VA facilities across the country also appeared to deliver very poor care or fail to properly distribute benefits in a timely manner. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki was forced to resign over the scandal, and the exposure led to significant reforms within the VA system — although further improvement are still needed.

If you choose to expose illegal or unethical actions within your organization, it’s important to protect your rights under state and federal law. For further guidance on this issue, consult an experienced corporate investigations lawyer at Whistleblower Law for Managers.