VA Must Cease and Desist Illegal FOIA-PA Public Records Redactions!
The Issue
VA illegally redacts and withholds public information and records!
"Under the First Amendment, freedom of the press belongs to the public and all publishers—not just a government-approved class of journalists."
"There is no official government licensing, certification, or federal law that universally defines "the press" in the United States."
"VA shall make no rule, guidance document, or policy abridging the freedom of the press".
VA refuses to provide public information such as employee name, position and including government furnished equipment (GFE) date, such as official work email addresses and official work cell phone numbers, via FOIA and PA request.
General VA employee information such as an employee's name, position, and salary are considered publicly available and is not protected under the Privacy Act the way sensitive data like Social Security numbers or medical files are.
By signing the. annual and mandatory, Rules of Behavior, employees explicitly agree that they have no expectation of privacy in any activities, communications, or records created, stored, or transiting on VA information systems.
"I WILL NOT: Have any expectation of privacy in any information I access, create, receive, or maintain, or in my activities while accessing or using VA information systems, as I understand that all activity is logged for security purposes.
I WILL NOT: Have any expectation of privacy regarding my use of any GFE. I understand that VA may monitor, intercept, search, and/or seize GFE I have been provided without notice or consent."
All VA information systems and employee records are property of the people--Not the employee!
VA also refuses to provide Federal Government issued email addresses for 38 CFR 15.160 disabled communications accommodation requests under The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The VA Secretary or Assistant Secretary Human Resources Administration/Operations, Security, and Prepardedness (ASHRA/OSP) are the only persons with authority to deny this request and they must do so in writing stating the reasons for doing so!
VA is in violation of their very own standards in the regulation they wrote for themselves!
When VA adopts a valid rule following the required legal procedures, that rule binds the agency and the public just like a statutory law passed by Congress.
38 CFR 0 Core Values, Characteristics, and Customer Experience Principles of the Department.
§ 0.600 General.
"They are intended to establish one overarching set of guidelines that apply to all VA Administrations and staff offices."
§0.601. Core Values.
(a) Integrity. VA employees will act with high moral principle, adhere to the highest professional standards, and maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom they engage.
(b) Commitment. VA employees will work diligently to serve veterans and other beneficiaries, be driven by an earnest belief in VA's mission, and fulfill their individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.
(c) Advocacy. VA employees will be truly veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of veterans and other beneficiaries.
(d) Respect. VA employees will treat all those they serve and with whom they work with dignity and respect, and they will show respect to earn it.
(e) Excellence. VA employees will strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement, and be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for their actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
§ 0.602 Core Characteristics.
(a) Trustworthy. VA earns the trust of those it serves, every day, through the actions of its employees. They provide care, benefits, and services with compassion, dependability, effectiveness, and transparency.
(b) Accessible. VA engages and welcomes veterans and other beneficiaries, facilitating their use of the entire array of its services. Each interaction will be positive and productive.
(c) Quality. VA provides the highest standard of care and services to veterans and beneficiaries while managing the cost of its programs and being efficient stewards of all resources entrusted to it by the American people. VA is a model of unrivalled excellence due to employees who are empowered, trusted by their leaders, and respected for their competence and dedication.
(d) Innovative. VA prizes curiosity and initiative, encourages creative contributions from all employees, seeks continuous improvement, and adapts to remain at the forefront in knowledge, proficiency, and capability to deliver the highest standard of care and services to all of the people it serves.
(e) Agile. VA anticipates and adapts quickly to current challenges and new requirements by continuously assessing the environment in which it operates and devising solutions to better serve veterans, other beneficiaries, and Service members.
(f) Integrated. VA links care and services across the Department; other federal, state, and local agencies; partners; and Veterans Services Organizations to provide useful and understandable programs to veterans and other beneficiaries. VA's relationship with the Department of Defense is unique, and VA will nurture it for the benefit of veterans and Service members.
§ 0.603 Customer Experience principles.
(a) Ease. VA will make access to VA care, benefits, and memorial services smooth and easy.
(b) Effectiveness. VA will deliver care, benefits, and memorial services to the customer's satisfaction.
(c) Emotion. VA will deliver care, benefits, and memorial services in a manner that makes customers feel honored and valued in their interactions with VA. VA will use customer experience data and insights in strategy development and decision-making to ensure that the voice of veterans, servicemembers, their families, caregivers, and survivors inform how VA delivers care, benefits, and memorial services.
Please contact the decision-makers, Secretary Douglas A. Collins and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Email: Doug.Collins@va.gov, Joshua.Quill2@va.gov, Todd.Hunter@va.gov, Curt.Cashour@va.gov, Jennifer.Burch@va.gov, Howard.Manuel@va.gov, Danielle.Runyan@va.gov James.Baehr@va.gov, Robert.Fleck@va.gov, Michael.Hogan@va.gov, Brent.Pope@va.gov, David.Barrans@va.gov, Cheryl.Mason@va.gov, David.Case@va.gov, Leslie.Leckey1@va.gov, Chris.Wilber@va.gov, Larry.Reinkemeyer@va.gov, Silas.Darden1@va.gov, Charles.Miller@va.gov, David.Krulak@va.gov, Mark.Engelbaum@va.gov, Ted.Radway@va.gov, Onika.Coke@va.gov, Lynda.Davis@va.gov, Barbara.Morton2va.gov, Denise.Kitts@va.gov, CustomerCare@va.gov, ExecutiveLeadership@va.gov, GovernmentEthics@va.gov, OAWP@va.gov, OEIDMO@va.gov, ORMECP@va.gov, Section504.Complaint@va.gov, Section508@va.gov, SecVArequest@va.gov, VACO00Reg@va.gov, VAOIG.ReportsStaff@va.gov, VAPublicAffairs@va.gov, Vets-Experience@va.gov.
Office of the Secretary (OSVA-00)
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington DC 20420-0001
Phone: 202-461-4800, 800-698-2411
Fax: 202-495-5463, 202-495-5861, 202-495-5601, 202-273-9988, 202-6328456
Report to the Office of Accountibility and Whistleblower Protection.
Report to the Office of Inspector General.
Report to the Office of Resolution Management.
Report to the Office of Special Counsel.
Report to the Department of Justice.
Contact congressional oversight. VAEmailRep_@VetAff.senate.gov, VAEmailDem_@VetAff.senate.gov, HVAC.Republicans@mail.house.gov, HVAC.Democrats@mail.house.gov
Contact your congressional delegation.
Contact the White House.
Thank you!
12
The Issue
VA illegally redacts and withholds public information and records!
"Under the First Amendment, freedom of the press belongs to the public and all publishers—not just a government-approved class of journalists."
"There is no official government licensing, certification, or federal law that universally defines "the press" in the United States."
"VA shall make no rule, guidance document, or policy abridging the freedom of the press".
VA refuses to provide public information such as employee name, position and including government furnished equipment (GFE) date, such as official work email addresses and official work cell phone numbers, via FOIA and PA request.
General VA employee information such as an employee's name, position, and salary are considered publicly available and is not protected under the Privacy Act the way sensitive data like Social Security numbers or medical files are.
By signing the. annual and mandatory, Rules of Behavior, employees explicitly agree that they have no expectation of privacy in any activities, communications, or records created, stored, or transiting on VA information systems.
"I WILL NOT: Have any expectation of privacy in any information I access, create, receive, or maintain, or in my activities while accessing or using VA information systems, as I understand that all activity is logged for security purposes.
I WILL NOT: Have any expectation of privacy regarding my use of any GFE. I understand that VA may monitor, intercept, search, and/or seize GFE I have been provided without notice or consent."
All VA information systems and employee records are property of the people--Not the employee!
VA also refuses to provide Federal Government issued email addresses for 38 CFR 15.160 disabled communications accommodation requests under The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The VA Secretary or Assistant Secretary Human Resources Administration/Operations, Security, and Prepardedness (ASHRA/OSP) are the only persons with authority to deny this request and they must do so in writing stating the reasons for doing so!
VA is in violation of their very own standards in the regulation they wrote for themselves!
When VA adopts a valid rule following the required legal procedures, that rule binds the agency and the public just like a statutory law passed by Congress.
38 CFR 0 Core Values, Characteristics, and Customer Experience Principles of the Department.
§ 0.600 General.
"They are intended to establish one overarching set of guidelines that apply to all VA Administrations and staff offices."
§0.601. Core Values.
(a) Integrity. VA employees will act with high moral principle, adhere to the highest professional standards, and maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom they engage.
(b) Commitment. VA employees will work diligently to serve veterans and other beneficiaries, be driven by an earnest belief in VA's mission, and fulfill their individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.
(c) Advocacy. VA employees will be truly veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of veterans and other beneficiaries.
(d) Respect. VA employees will treat all those they serve and with whom they work with dignity and respect, and they will show respect to earn it.
(e) Excellence. VA employees will strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement, and be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for their actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
§ 0.602 Core Characteristics.
(a) Trustworthy. VA earns the trust of those it serves, every day, through the actions of its employees. They provide care, benefits, and services with compassion, dependability, effectiveness, and transparency.
(b) Accessible. VA engages and welcomes veterans and other beneficiaries, facilitating their use of the entire array of its services. Each interaction will be positive and productive.
(c) Quality. VA provides the highest standard of care and services to veterans and beneficiaries while managing the cost of its programs and being efficient stewards of all resources entrusted to it by the American people. VA is a model of unrivalled excellence due to employees who are empowered, trusted by their leaders, and respected for their competence and dedication.
(d) Innovative. VA prizes curiosity and initiative, encourages creative contributions from all employees, seeks continuous improvement, and adapts to remain at the forefront in knowledge, proficiency, and capability to deliver the highest standard of care and services to all of the people it serves.
(e) Agile. VA anticipates and adapts quickly to current challenges and new requirements by continuously assessing the environment in which it operates and devising solutions to better serve veterans, other beneficiaries, and Service members.
(f) Integrated. VA links care and services across the Department; other federal, state, and local agencies; partners; and Veterans Services Organizations to provide useful and understandable programs to veterans and other beneficiaries. VA's relationship with the Department of Defense is unique, and VA will nurture it for the benefit of veterans and Service members.
§ 0.603 Customer Experience principles.
(a) Ease. VA will make access to VA care, benefits, and memorial services smooth and easy.
(b) Effectiveness. VA will deliver care, benefits, and memorial services to the customer's satisfaction.
(c) Emotion. VA will deliver care, benefits, and memorial services in a manner that makes customers feel honored and valued in their interactions with VA. VA will use customer experience data and insights in strategy development and decision-making to ensure that the voice of veterans, servicemembers, their families, caregivers, and survivors inform how VA delivers care, benefits, and memorial services.
Please contact the decision-makers, Secretary Douglas A. Collins and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Email: Doug.Collins@va.gov, Joshua.Quill2@va.gov, Todd.Hunter@va.gov, Curt.Cashour@va.gov, Jennifer.Burch@va.gov, Howard.Manuel@va.gov, Danielle.Runyan@va.gov James.Baehr@va.gov, Robert.Fleck@va.gov, Michael.Hogan@va.gov, Brent.Pope@va.gov, David.Barrans@va.gov, Cheryl.Mason@va.gov, David.Case@va.gov, Leslie.Leckey1@va.gov, Chris.Wilber@va.gov, Larry.Reinkemeyer@va.gov, Silas.Darden1@va.gov, Charles.Miller@va.gov, David.Krulak@va.gov, Mark.Engelbaum@va.gov, Ted.Radway@va.gov, Onika.Coke@va.gov, Lynda.Davis@va.gov, Barbara.Morton2va.gov, Denise.Kitts@va.gov, CustomerCare@va.gov, ExecutiveLeadership@va.gov, GovernmentEthics@va.gov, OAWP@va.gov, OEIDMO@va.gov, ORMECP@va.gov, Section504.Complaint@va.gov, Section508@va.gov, SecVArequest@va.gov, VACO00Reg@va.gov, VAOIG.ReportsStaff@va.gov, VAPublicAffairs@va.gov, Vets-Experience@va.gov.
Office of the Secretary (OSVA-00)
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington DC 20420-0001
Phone: 202-461-4800, 800-698-2411
Fax: 202-495-5463, 202-495-5861, 202-495-5601, 202-273-9988, 202-6328456
Report to the Office of Accountibility and Whistleblower Protection.
Report to the Office of Inspector General.
Report to the Office of Resolution Management.
Report to the Office of Special Counsel.
Report to the Department of Justice.
Contact congressional oversight. VAEmailRep_@VetAff.senate.gov, VAEmailDem_@VetAff.senate.gov, HVAC.Republicans@mail.house.gov, HVAC.Democrats@mail.house.gov
Contact your congressional delegation.
Contact the White House.
Thank you!
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on October 24, 2026