Investigators also found that executives pressured employees to sign a $1 million ratification to show that they approved the unauthorized ambulance payments.

“Congress needs to hold VA senior management accountable, and VA senior management needs to hold employees accountable,” Darin Selnick, a senior adviser to Concerned Veterans for America, in Virginia, told Redlands Daily Facts, adding that handshake agreements are a growing problem in the U.S.

Since then, the company has received complaints from several transport companies for failing to pay outstanding invoices, with its mobility management staff refusing to because many of the charges were unapproved.

In addition to funding mismanagement, the company is also being investigated for employing a man whom sources say is grounds department supervisor Martin Robles, who is alleged to have created a toxic work environment by harassing and retaliating against other workers. Despite being the subject of three federal investigations — one of which recommended he be fired — VA Loma Linda instead promoted him, and he remains employed there.

EDIT 9/15: An earlier version of this story erroneously said that the report in question was published by the VA OIG. The report was completed by VA three-member, fact-finding team which later turned the case over to the VA OIG. HCB News has corrected this information and apologizes for the error.

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