The Post, citing documents, reported that the White House
required candidates for the board to disclose their party affiliations
"and other details of their political leanings" before determining
whether to accept them. The candidates were nominated to serve as
administrative judges on the board.
The Board of Veterans’ Appeals, which is part of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, determines whether injured veterans are
entitled to benefits.
The questions the White House asked about the candidates'
party affiliation and political leanings had not been asked of candidates in
the past, according to the Post.
The rejected candidates consisted of three Democrats and one
independent, according to the newspaper. The accepted candidates, who were
sworn in last week, were made up of three Republicans and one person who isn't
registered with a party but has voted in Republican primaries, the Post
reported.
One candidate told the Post that candidates were required to
submit links to their social media pages and say whether they had ever given a
speech to Congress, spoken at a political convention, appeared on talk radio or
published an opinion piece in either a conservative or liberal outlet.
Although the denied candidates weren't told why they were
turned away, their rejections have caused concern among current and former
officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the Post.
VA spokesman Curt Cashour told the Post that the rejections
were part of a vetting process of candidates, noting that in 2016 two judges on
the board and three attorneys were found to have sent racist and sexist emails.
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