Video: Blumenthal Grills Partisan Nominee for VA Inspector General in Fiery Exchange

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing today to consider the nomination of Cheryl Mason to be the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) grilled Mason on her partisan ties to the Trump Administration and role as senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins.

Blumenthal stressed a clear conflict of interest in the Trump Administration nominating Mason—a loyalist—to the independent oversight role as VA’s top watchdog official, who is intended to be non-partisan: “The office of Inspector General is one that has to be completely non-partisan and independent. We have never…confirmed someone for that position who was a political appointee already serving in any Department…which gives me tremendous pause. It has to be seen in the context of the firing of most of our Inspector Generals by the President of the United States—illegally done, in a way that seems really regrettable. So, what we need now—more than any other time in our history—is a person in that position who non-political, completely non-partisan, and independent.”

During his questioning, Blumenthal pressed Mason on if she would investigate President Trump’s illegal mass firings: “If confirmed, will you launch an investigation into Secretary Collins mass termination of employees, which have been found illegal by the courts?” When Mason would not commit to investigating the firings, Blumenthal continued pushing: “They’ve been found to be illegal. Won’t you investigate?” Mason again would not respond if she would investigate the firings, or the Secretary’s future plan to cut 83,000 VA employees.

“Let me ask you: Have you had any role in either the firings of VA employees to date?...And what about the plans to fire 83,000 more?...Have you participated in the realignment of Senior Executive Service staff across the board, VBA, and Office of General Counsel?” asked Blumenthal. When Mason would not answer the Senator clearly, Blumenthal quipped: “Okay, we can argue about words here but I think you get my point, which is you’re unwilling to review mass firings—which have been found to be illegal. You have been unwilling to be forthright in your responses to these questions.”

When Mason could not cite any actions or decisions on which she was involved while serving as a Senior Advisor to VA Secretary Collins or a member of the Trump transition team, Blumenthal responded incredulously: “So what have you done?”

Blumenthal concluded: “You have been earning your pay as loyal advisor, a member of the Collins’ team, an employee as his behest, a political appointee—not as a career civil servant. You are a political appointee as an Inspector General, and that is why I will object to your nomination.”

Inspectors General, per law, are intended to be independent, non-partisan watchdogs focused on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.

As Ranking Member, Senator Blumenthal has been critical of Mason’s nomination given her role as a Trump Administration senior political advisor at VA. As a senior advisor for VA Secretary Doug Collins, Mason has supported VA career employees working on the Administration’s plan to fire 83,000 employees and nominees to Senate confirmed positions to sign Non-Disclosure agreements.

In January, Trump illegally fired VA Inspector General Mike Missal, along with at least 18 other Inspector Generals, without providing legally-required written prior notice or reasoning to Congress. Missal served in the role since April 2016. 

The full text of Blumenthal’s Q&A is copied below and a video link is available here.

U.S. Senator Blumenthal: Let me ask you, if confirmed will you launch an investigation into Secretary Collins’ mass terminations of employees, which have been found illegal by the courts?

Cheryl Mason: Senator Blumenthal, thank you for that question. If confirmed, the responsibility of the IG is to look at all concerns and issues that it brings up itself, or as the Committee brings up, or others.

Senator Blumenthal: I’m asking you about the terminations in particular. Will you launch an investigation into those terminations?

Ms. Mason: If there are terminations that impact the benefits, and care, and service to veterans that are improper, IG will look into them, yes.

Senator Blumenthal: They have been found to be illegal. Won’t you investigate?

Ms. Mason: Well, I would investigate but some of those issues are currently in litigation with the courts, and so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment on them at this time.

Senator Blumenthal: Will you investigate the Secretary’s proposed reorganization?

Ms. Mason: Thank you for the question, Senator Blumenthal. I can’t investigate anything until the action occurs, so OIG would definitely look at that with the team and asses whether there needs to be an investigation into that. 

Senator Blumenthal: Well, you can investigate actions that are taken preliminarily to a final plan or action. Let me ask you, have you had any role in either the firings of VA employees to date?

Ms. Mason: No, I have not Senator.

Senator Blumenthal: And what about the plans to fire as many as 83,000 more? 

Ms. Mason: Thank you for the question. I have not had a role in any of those activities. Those activities were handled by the HRA team and General Counsel.

Senator Blumenthal: Have you participated in the realignment of Senior Executive Service staff across the board, VBA, and Office of General Council?

Ms. Mason: Thank you for the question, Senator. The situation there was that the Acting Secretary decided to direct some changes across the administrations and staff offices, under the President’s executive order to restore accountability to the career SCS’s and follow to 1979 SCS Act. And he felt that it was important to reassign some of these people to ensure collaboration.

Senator Blumenthal: I don’t understand. Have you played role in that realignment?

Ms. Mason: My role was to convey the reassignment to the staff offices that were in my portfolio.

Senator Blumenthal: So, you have participated in those actions?

Ms. Mason: I did not participate. I conveyed the Acting Secretary’s direction to reassign those people.

Senator Blumenthal: Ok, we can argue about words here, but I think you get my point, which is that you are unwilling to review mass firings which have been found to be illegal. You are unwilling to be forthright in your responses to these questions. You served the Secretary of the VA, correct?

Ms. Mason: I served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of VA for a period of time, but again, as I explained, my role—

Senator Blumenthal: And to his team?

Ms. Mason: I’m sorry? To his team?

Senator Blumenthal: You’ve served as an advisor to him and you’ve worked with his team, correct?

Ms. Mason: I served as an advisor to the Secretary and advised those within my portfolio as to the directions the Secretary directed.

Senator Blumenthal: And you’ve considered yourself a loyal aide, correct?

Ms. Mason: I consider myself to be an impartial, independent aide to the Department, because that is my role.

Senator Blumenthal: You considered yourself to be a loyal aide, correct?

Ms. Mason: I am loyal to the veterans, that’s who I serve. That’s who I’m loyal to.

Senator Blumenthal: You’ve worked for him.

Ms. Mason: I work for the President and the Secretary. But also, if confirmed as IG, I will work for this Committee.

Senator Blumenthal: Have you been involved in the requests of VA employees to sign nondisclosure agreements?

Ms. Mason: Senator, I have not.

Senator Blumenthal: You have had no involvement?

Ms. Mason: I have had no involvement in that activity.

Senator Blumenthal: What is your involvement in the reorganization and the RIFs that Secretary Collins has planned?

Ms. Mason: Senator Blumenthal, I have had no involvement in that activity.

Senator Blumenthal: What have you done?

Ms. Mason: Well again my role as senior advisor is to gather information. When you look—

Senator Blumenthal: But you haven’t been earning your pay.

Ms. Mason: Well I have because the department is quite siloed, as you know, and VBA is very siloed—

Senator Blumenthal: But what have you done?

Ms. Mason: So, I’ve been investigating and looking at VBA and providing advice to the VBA leadership, as well as other careerists at the board, and at National Cemetery Administration. So, I have been earning my pay, 12-hour days almost every day.

Senator Blumenthal: You have been earning you pay as a loyal advisor, a member of the Collins team, an employee as his behest, a political appointee. Not as a career civil servant. You are a political appointee as Inspector General, and that is why I will object to your nomination.

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