Although a former physician's assistant at a Veterans Affairs hospital is accused of sexually abusing patients, he is receiving retirement benefits from the government.
KSHB Kansas City reported that Mark Wisner was allowed to voluntarily retire while he was being investigated, allowing him to continue to receive salary and retirement benefits. Wisner worked at the Leavenworth Veterans Affairs
Local veterans, including those who say they were abused by Wisner, are outraged at both Wisner's actions and the VA's handling of the case.
Additionally, KSHB reports that Department of Veterans Affairs was not honest about the case.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R., Kan.) asked Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald about the Wisner case last month during a hearing. McDonald said that Wisner had resigned first.
"Are you telling me that he beat you to the punch?" Moran asked.
"Somebody resigns, they're no longer an employee," McDonald said. "That's true in the private sector or the public sector."
However, KSHB has an email from Veterans Affairs showing that while Wisner was under investigation, he retired. His retirement occurred on June 30, 2014. Veterans Affairs approved his request although Wisner had admitted to inappropriately touching patients.
Wisner is expected to be in court sometime next week.
Moran has introduced legislation to ensure that VA workers who have committed crimes against veterans do not receive benefits.