Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told a Senate panel Sept. 26 that there is no "inappropriate influence" at the VA, despite reports that a group of people with ties to President Donald Trump has played a role in influencing policy, according to The Hill.
Ike Perlmutter, a longtime acquaintance of President Trump and chairman of Marvel Entertainment; Bruce Moskowitz, MD, a physician practicing in Palm Beach, Fla.; and Marc Sherman, a lawyer, were known as "the Mar-a-Lago Crowd," after the Palm Beach club owned by President Trump. VA insiders say these men spoke with VA staff daily regarding agency policies.
A ProPublica report alleges that this group's influence led to the ouster of David Shulkin, MD, as the VA secretary in March. While Mr. Wilkie admitted to meeting with the men once, he denied they had any decision-making power.
"I met with them once for an hour in Palm Beach the first week I was acting. I've had no connection with them since then," said Mr. Wilkie.