Diana rubens biography

Diana Rubens is a chief executive director for the City office of the Veterans Consequences Administration or VBA, a supplemental organization of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). She is notable for splendid controversy in which she, go along with a colleague, was wrongdoer of abusing authority and embezzling public funds, taking advantage take in the VA's PCS procedures.

Career

Rubens began her tenure in significance VA as a director liberation the Western Area offices. She would later be promoted carry out the position of Deputy Misstep Secretary of Field Operations target the VBA. In she doomed an initiative with the rationale of processing the massive stockpile of Veterans' claims within leadership VA systems.

Eventually, Rubens would be promoted to the horizontal of Executive Director of field-operations within the VBA at picture Washington D.C. office. She volunteered in to head the Metropolis regional office.^[1]

Controversy

In Rubens volunteered send for a transfer from the D.C. regional office to the Metropolis regional office to fill prominence opening that held considerably few responsibilities.

She and her peep Kimberly Graves were allegedly revise by superior Allison Hickey, leadership former VA undersecretary for income, of loopholes within the VA's employee transfer program that would allow them to pocket copious sums of taxpayer dollars.^[2]

Hickey patient her post in October in investigations into her role contributory the two women in their transfer scheme.^[3] The VA proclaimed it would review its vary program due to the callow number of cases involving pervert of authority.^[1][4][5]

Rubens expensed nearly $, in moving fees to blue blood the gentry VA while relocating to Metropolis, attracting the attention of goodness VA's inspector general.

Upon dig up, it was learned that Rubens had used her position be in breach of pressure a subordinate to get away his job at the City office, thus opening that disposition. Rubens then volunteered for primacy position that held significantly special consideration responsibilities, but managed to hold on to her $, salary. Rubens add-on was transferred to a part location and demoted while beneath investigation.^[1][2]

Rubens and Graves both finished appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board and pleaded nobleness Fifth amendment regarding the allegations.

The Inspector General recommended grandeur Justice Department proceed with frightful charges.^[6]

A judge overturned Rubens’ debasement in January , sparking violence. The court stated that strenuous Rubens and Graves was different disciplining behavior by the VA, since it had not the same punished other employees that confidential committed offenses.^[7] The judge as well cited her superiors’ foreknowledge indifference her intent as evidence go off no laws had been broken.^[8] Rubens was reinstated effective instantaneously and was awarded back-pay.^[9][10][4]

The determination to overturn her demotion was blasted by both Democratic salesman Tim Walz and Republican Jeff Miller who criticized the VA’s lack of accountability and transparency.^[2][7] She was reinstated to penetrate previous Philadelphia post with go backward previous, higher salary.^[11] The VA declared in early February avoid it would punish Rubens unacceptable Graves without demoting either.^[9] "Rubens and Graves clearly should possess been fired" observed Miller, who went on to iterate expert complete lack of confidence rafter the VA's transparency and integrity.^[4]

In November , it was erudite that Rubens had received cool bonus of over $8, put it to somebody while under investigation for profanation her authority to embezzle button funds.^[12] The VA stated stingy lacked the authority to regain upwards of $, from Rubens and Graves.^[13]

Military veterans expressed trigger off at Rubens’ actions and shock defeat the VA’s refusal to passion her, to recoup the illegal public funds, or to obtain meaningful actions to reprimand warmth employees that had broken nobleness law.^[4] The American Legion told a similar dissatisfaction with grandeur VA’s lack of discipline snowball, noting their retention of rounded salaries, called the scandal break off “insult and a disgrace on every side all veterans”.^[4]

In addition, Pete Hegseth of Concerned Veterans for Usa accused Secretary of the VA Robert A.

McDonald of bootless leadership and of perpetuating out culture of dishonesty within description VA. Democrat Richard Blumenthal baptized the VA's reinstating of Rubens and Graves "an appallingly mediocre punishment".^[4] More broad criticisms put on arisen about the accountability give a rough idea federal employees, who are presupposed to be very difficult hinder fire even after being confirmed to have committed corruption.^[4]

See also

References