Former Phoenix VA Health Care System Director Sharon Helman pleading guilty on Tuesday to filing a false financial disclosure that failed to report more than $50,000 worth of gifts she accepted from a lobbyist.
From February 2012 to November 2014 Helman oversaw the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix. In November 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) formally removed Helman from federal service following an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General in which allegations of lack of oversight and other misconduct were substantiated.
In February 2014, a whistleblower alleged that 40 veterans died waiting for an appointment. After a thorough investigation, the VA Office of Inspector General was able to identify 40 patients who died while on the Electronic Wait List during the period April 2013 through April 2014.
Although federal law required Helman to file a yearly financial disclosure report, she failed to do so. Those unreported gifts included a vehicle, two round-trip airline tickets, and concert tickets.