Two VA Officials Invokes Fifth Amendment on Questions of Job-Manipulation Claims

VA officials plead the 5th, refuse to testify (The Washington Examiner)

Executives at the Department of Veterans Affairs invoked their Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions about whether they abused a program that compensates them for taking jobs in other states, during a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee Monday evening.

Diane Rubens and Kimberly Graves, two VA officials cited in a scathing inspector general report in September, had to be subpoenaed to appear before the committee after refusing to appear to an earlier hearing. But while the subpoena got them in the room, the two declined to answer any questions.

"Requiring these individuals or any individuals to appear is not meant to embarrass them," Rep. Jeff Miller, who chairs the VA committee, said before questioning the witnesses Monday night.