Tammy Baldwin has been busy trying to cover up her involvement in the Tomah VA scandal.
It’s no wonder she paid nearly $90,000 to a ‘political fixer’ during the scandal.
What Tammy Baldwin Doesn’t Want You To Remember About Her Tomah VA Scandal
From 2004 to 2012, the Tomah, WI Veterans Affairs Medical Center dangerously over prescribed opiates to patients, leading to the death of at least one Marine veteran while in inpatient care, and “at least five fatal overdoses” linked to the facility.
Baldwin was the only member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to receive the Inspector General’s report detailing these abuses and took no action to address them.
Appleton Post Crescent: Sen. Baldwin had Tomah VA report for months
- “Baldwin was the only member of Congress who had a copy of the report, which found three practitioners at the Tomah VA were among the top 10 most prolific prescribers of opiates among more than 3,000 in the region. She received a copy of the report last August but didn’t call for an investigation until January, despite repeated emails from Honl in November and December, asking her to take action.”
- “A whistleblower who learned in November that Baldwin had had a copy for months and hadn’t acted, repeatedly emailed her office asking that she do something to help the veterans at the center, according to copies of the emails obtained by USA TODAY.”
- “Aides to Baldwin did not respond to multiple messages asking what the senator did in response to the inspection report she received, or how she responded to the whistleblower’s emails.”
Rather than take personal responsibility, Baldwin fired her Deputy State Director, Marquette Baylor.
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: Sen. Tammy Baldwin ousts aide over VA controversy
- “Under fire for her office’s inaction over alleged overmedication at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin abruptly ousted one of her top state staffers late last week. Marquette Baylor — deputy state director for Baldwin and chief of her Milwaukee office — was let go on Thursday without explanation.”
Baylor then filed an ethics complaint accusing the Senator of pinning the blame on her, to “protect [Baldwin’s] political career.”
- “I, Marquette Baylor, bring this Ethics Complaint against my former employer, Senator Tammy Baldwin, for making false statements and representations to cover up actions by her Chief of Staff and protect her political career.” (“Ethics Complaint,”United States Senate, 4/20/15)
The Tomah VA whistleblower faults Baldwin for “playing political damage control.”
Wisconsin State Journal: Tomah VA whistleblower: Taking out Tammy Baldwin ‘my unfinished business’
- “A whistleblower at the embattled Tomah VA Medical Center emerged in last year’s campaign as a blistering voice faulting former Sen. Russ Feingold’s oversight of the center, where failures in care for veterans was found to have contributed to their deaths. Now Ryan Honl says he’s gunning for another Democratic politician he feels failed to respond to red flags at Tomah: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Madison, who’s seeking re-election next fall…Honl now says he’s focusing on Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse. Honl says he faults both for what he describes as playing political damage control instead of focusing on fixing the issues at Tomah. ‘They’ve been pushing out bills … and not accepting their failures,’ Honl said.”