Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey Suspects Some VA Allegations Will Be Proven True
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff believes some of the allegations of malfeasance plaguing the Department of Veteran's Affairs - the very organization meant to offer care to veterans - will be proven true, and if so, those individuals responsible need to held to accountable.
"Well, it is outrageous, if the allegations actually are documented and proven, and I suspect some of them will be," Gen. Martin Dempsey told ABC's Martha Raddatz during an exclusive interview for "This Week." "They've got to be held accountable. I think that [Eric] Ric Shinseki has made it very clear that they will be held accountable."
Dempsey said that embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, a retired, four-star general, would not be exempt from potential consequences.
"At some point, you know, the chief executive, the chairman, whoever it is, has to take responsibility for the entire organization and its performance," Dempsey said.
Multiple VA hospitals are under investigation for allegedly attempting to cover up long delays in treatment for veterans. The allegations have caused a political firestorm.
Dempsey on Memorial Day
Dempsey also talked about what Memorial Day meant to him.
"In a couple of weeks we'll celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing, 25,000 lost in one day. But what it reminds me of is that history will repeat itself on the issue of conflict," he said. "The issues that are beginning to be resolved are not ending … We're going to have a challenge with extremism in the unsettled and ungoverned spaces that run from, you know, Afghanistan to Nigeria for a very long time."
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