The medical records of Republican Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, both vice presidential nominees, have been improperly accessed by employees at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), leading to a criminal investigation.
Fox News reported that during the summer, at least twelve employees within the VA's Veterans Health Administration viewed the medical records of Vance and Walz without authorization.
The breaches were discovered during an internal investigation by the VA, which consequentially informed the campaigns of both nominees about the violations.
As the investigation unfolded, evidence including information about the involved employees — a physician and a contractor among others — was gathered by the office of VA Inspector General Michael Missal and passed on to federal prosecutors.
The specific reasons behind the unauthorized access remain unclear, and authorities are investigating whether any of the accessed information was shared outside the VA.
The employees implicated in this breach accessed the medical records from VA computers, mostly within their government offices.
Some staffers claimed their actions were driven by curiosity about the candidates' military service, which has been highlighted as a significant issue in their campaign trails.
The unauthorized access did not include any disability compensation records, which are safeguarded under more stringent security protocols. Nonetheless, this does not mitigate the potential legal consequences facing the involved VA staff, who have violated strict federal privacy laws.
An internal memo was circulated by VA Secretary Denis McDonough on August 30, 2024, emphasizing the confidentiality obligations to all VA employees.
The memo instructed that veterans' records should only be used about officially sanctioned duties and firmly prohibited accessing such records out of curiosity or any other non-official reason.
According to VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes, any infraction involving the mishandling of veteran records is taken seriously. "We reported to law enforcement allegations that VA personnel may have improperly accessed Veteran records," Hayes stated, underscoring the administration's commitment to privacy.
"We take the privacy of the Veterans we serve very seriously and have strict policies in place to protect their records. Any attempt to improperly access Veteran records by VA personnel is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Hayes added, reflecting the strict stance the agency maintains regarding such violations.
The incident also brings to light the heightened political sensitivity and personal stakes involved as both Vance and Walz have military backgrounds that are integral to their public personas.
Vance served in the U.S. Marines and was deployed to Iraq, while Walz had a 24-year career in the Army National Guard before entering Congress.
These breaches appear not only as an invasion of privacy but also potentially as a political maneuver, given the timing during the election cycle.
The involvement of federal prosecutors highlights the gravity with which this case is being treated, as it involves highly sensitive personal information of individuals who are in the public eye under their service and current vice presidential candidacies.
It is noteworthy that this is the first time since 1996 that veterans from both major parties have been nominated for the vice presidency, which adds a historical context to the scrutiny and potential misuse of their health records.
The VA continues to investigate the full scope and intent behind these breaches, ensuring that all persons involved are held accountable and prevent future incidents.
The outcomes of these investigations are awaited with significant interest not only by the political communities but also by veterans and active military personnel who may feel their privacy could similarly be compromised.