Report of ‘Mar-a-Lago crowd’ secretly running the VA leads to new investigation

Amy Baxter | | Health Exec | Management

A report by ProPublica into who is really running the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has led lawmakers to demand an investigation.

The report revealed that three friends of President Donald Trump, otherwise known as the “Mar-a-Lago Crowd” because they frequent Trump’s Florida beach club, carry an unprecedented amount of influence at the VA despite holding no formal position in the department or having served in the U.S. military. The three—Palm Beach doctor Bruce Moskowitz, MD, Marc Sherman, a lawyer, and Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter—have reportedly influenced policy shifts and leadership changes from Mar-a-Lago.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, penned a letter to the Inspector General urging an investigation into the alleged “abuses of ethics and misuse of government resources for private gain.” 

The allegations by ProPublica came to light as the Trump administration has continually advocated more private healthcare options in the VA.

“Membership in President Trump’s private club, alone, is not sufficient to have an informed opinion on the best way to deliver care and benefits to our nation’s veterans,” the senators wrote.

Amy Baxter
Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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