DEI Freeze: VA puts 60 employees on paid leave who average over $136,000 yearly salary

In response to an official inquiry by Pop Smoke Media, a spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs stated:

“To date, VA has placed nearly 60 employees who had been solely focused on diversity, equity and inclusion activities on paid administrative leave. The combined annual salary (base pay, locality pay and additional earnings) of these employees totals more than $8 million, an average of more than $136,000/year per employee. One such employee is making more than $220,000 per year. ”

Our inquiry came after anonymous source claimed that many VA employees and contractors were scrambling to change their job description after President Trump's directive to do away with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

The VA went on to say they “identified several contracts for DEI-related trainings, materials and other consulting services, which the department is currently working to cancel. The combined value of these contracts totals more than $6.1 million.”

However, many Veterans have voiced objections to the deep cuts, particularly in regards to how some of these programs were set in place to ensure Veterans in rural areas were ensured adequate care. Additionally, some Veterans have pointed to historical instances where women and minorities were given substandard medical care, in comparison to white males.

VA Director of Media Affairs Morgan Ackley sought to reassure Veterans by staying, “Under President Trump, VA is laser-focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission. We look forward to reallocating the millions of dollars the department was spending on DEI programs and personnel to better serve the men and women who have bravely served our nation."

On January 20, President Trump appointed Mr. Todd Hunter as the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Hunter served in the US Army for 22 years. Mr. Hunter has been honored with the Legion of Merit Medal and the Women’s Veteran Interactive Trailblazer’s Award.