Pamela Powers, chief of staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been assigned to take on the duties of deputy secretary, after the firing of predecessor James Byrne.
In a release Tuesday, the VA said President Donald Trump had directed that Powers, a retired Air Force colonel and Air Force Academy graduate, would have the role of VA deputy secretary while continuing as chief of staff.
There was no immediate indication of whether Powers would eventually be nominated to the post or serve on an interim basis until a formal nominee is chosen.
Powers, who previously served as chief of staff to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie when he was under secretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness, began in her new post April 2, according to the release.
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"Pam has quarterbacked VA's historic transformation for the better part of the last two years" on a range of initiatives, Wilkie said in a statement. "Her deep experience and decisive leadership style will yield tremendous benefits for veterans and the department during this important time."
Byrne, who served in the Marine Corps and was an international narcotics prosecutor at the Justice Department, served as acting VA deputy secretary from August 2018 to September 2019, when he was confirmed by the Senate.
He was forced out by Wilkie on Feb. 3. Wilkie said he had a "loss of confidence" in Byrne, but gave no specifics.
At a Feb. 5 National Press Club news conference, Wilkie added to the mystery over Byrne's firing by calling him a "man of great distinction" and wishing him well. He said Byrne's firing was "a simple business decision" and dismissed concerns of turmoil at top levels of the department.
"There are times in any company, in the military and even in Congress when some people in the organization just don't gel with the team," he said.
Wilkie also said it was "categorically untrue" that Byrne's firing was linked to VA Inspector General Michael Missal's investigation into a sexual assault claim filed by Navy Reserve Lt. Andrea Goldstein, a staffer on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
She alleged that an individual she believed to be another veteran had rubbed up against her and made lewd suggestions at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center last September.
In January, the IG's office closed the investigation into Goldstein's allegation, saying there was insufficient evidence to continue pursuing the case.
Wilkie then wrote to Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, saying, "We believe that VA is a safe place for all veterans to enter and receive care and services, but the unsubstantiated claims raised by you and your staff could deter our veterans from seeking the care they need and deserve."
The reference to "unsubstantiated claims" prompted a stinging rebuke from Missal. He wrote to Wilkie on Jan. 15 to state, "Neither I nor my staff told you or anyone else at the Department that the allegations were unsubstantiated."
He added, "Reaching a decision to close the investigation with no criminal charges does not mean that the underlying allegation is unsubstantiated."
Missal also said that he had spoken to both Byrne and Powers before closing the case and "specifically told them that the investigation had been closed without charges and that no other characterization could or should be made regarding the outcome of the investigation."
There was no immediate response from the VA on whether Byrne or Powers told Wilkie of Missal's warning about using the term "unsubstantiated" before he sent the letter to Takano.
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
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