OAN Staff James Myers
12:00 PM – Monday, September 30, 2024
At least 12 Department of Veterans Affairs employees have been accused of improperly viewing the medical records of vice presidential candidates J.D. Vance and Tim Walz in July and August, according to multiple reports. It is reported that.
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The newspaper said more than a dozen employees estimated to have viewed confidential medical files, prompting an internal investigation into whether they violated federal medical privacy laws. washington post.
“We have reported to law enforcement an allegation that a VA employee may have had unauthorized access to veterans' records. We take our veterans' privacy very seriously. We have strict policies in place to protect their records,” said Terrence Hayes, a Department of Veterans Affairs spokesperson. new york post.
“Attempts by VA personnel to gain unauthorized access to VA records are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
In addition, Mr. Walz and Mr. Vance are the first pair of dueling veterans to run for vice president since 1996, when Republican Jack Kemp faced off against Democrat Al Gore.
Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, while Walz spent most of that time. He served 24 years in the National Guard, retiring in preparation for the 2006 Congressional elections.
Mr. Walz has been criticized by at least 50 Republicans, who claim the Minnesota Democrat lied about his military history, including leaving the National Guard in 2006 before an artillery battalion's deployment to Iraq began. are. Instead he chose to pursue a career in politics.
Authorities discovered the illegal activity last month during a routine review of the department's sensitive accounts.
Additionally, official reports indicate that Department of Veterans Affairs officials notified the Harris-Waltz and Trump-Vance campaigns of the breach, which involved contractors and doctors, and that they have not kept their files. It is said that the investigation was conducted for a period of time.
However, it is not clear whether the perpetrators shared data from those medical records with outside groups.
The report also states that those involved did not have access to disability compensation records.
“We have reported to law enforcement an allegation that a VA employee may have had unauthorized access to VA records,” VA spokesman Terrence Hayes said in a statement. fox news About digital and reporting. “We take the privacy of our Veterans very seriously and have strict policies in place to protect their records. Any attempt by a Veteran to gain unauthorized access to Veteran records will not be tolerated. , is not acceptable.”
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 makes unauthorized access to an individual's personal health data illegal. Violating HIPAA can actually result in up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Meanwhile, approximately 400,000 people work in the VA Health Care System, which serves more than 9 million veterans nationwide.
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