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General counsel and CFO nominees face questions on legal compliance, audits and VA budget shortfall
Summary
Lieutenant Colonel James Baer and Richard Topping described their service and pledged to follow the law and court orders. Senators pressed Baer on whether OGC would be an obstacle to oversight and asked Topping to explain a past state audit and litigation tied to his prior work and the VA's budgetary shortfall and EHR efforts.
WASHINGTON
Lieutenant Colonel James Baer, nominated to be general counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Richard Topping, nominated for the department's chief financial officer, told the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs that they would follow the law and comply with court orders if confirmed.
Why it matters: The general counsel and CFO play central roles in advising the secretary on litigation, personnel actions, financial transparency and budget planning. Senators focused on whether the nominees would enable committee oversight, resist unlawful political pressure and correct financial and programmatic missteps identified by the VA inspector general.
Legal accountability and whistleblower protections: Baer repeatedly told the committee that courts must be obeyed and…
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