At least a dozen employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs have been found to have improperly accessed medical records for JD Vance and Tim Walz, prompting an official investigation into the breach. The breach, involving records of the Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates who are both military veterans, could potentially violate federal medical privacy laws.
The Washington Post initially reported that VA employees had accessed Vance’s records around two months ago. The VA inspector general’s office reached out to both campaigns to inform them of the breach. Terrence Hayes, a VA spokesperson, emphasised the seriousness with which the agency takes the privacy of the veterans they serve and stated that any improper access to veteran records is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The matter has been reported to law enforcement for further investigation.
JD Vance, a former Marine who served in Iraq, and Tim Walz, a retired member of the National Guard, were the subjects of the unauthorised medical file access. Officials at the VA have informed both campaigns that certain employees in the agency’s Veterans Health Administration healthcare arm did not have the necessary authorisation to review their records. The VA Inspector General’s office has shared evidence with federal prosecutors regarding the employees involved, including a physician and a contractor who spent extended periods reviewing the medical files.
Investigators are currently looking into the motivation behind the breach and whether any information from the records was shared as a result. The medical information that was accessed remains unclear at this point. An important memo from VA Secretary Denis McDonough highlights the importance of adhering to strict privacy protocols when handling veteran information and warns of disciplinary actions for violations.
News of the breach came just before Vance and Walz were set to participate in their only debate ahead of the presidential election. Scheduled at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, the debate will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan. The investigation into the unauthorised access to their medical records is ongoing, adding a layer of complexity to the candidates’ circumstances.