Overview
- The Department of Veterans Affairs, which oversees veterans' health care, disclosed Tuesday through CNN reporting that it opened investigations into multiple employees who attended Alex Pretti vigils and spoke to the press.
- One case involves Becky Halioua, a recreational therapist and union leader in Augusta, who was shown news photos with her face circled and was later found by the VA to have violated media rules for agreeing to an interview without approval.
- Halioua says she spoke off duty in a personal capacity and disputes the finding, and an AFGE union attorney argues her comments were protected speech under workplace rules.
- A VA spokesperson said privacy laws bar the agency from discussing specific personnel matters, and the VA handbook tells employees to refer reporters to communications offices unless they are authorized to speak.
- The probes follow January vigils after Pretti was shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, and the broader case remains contested as the FBI refused Minnesota access to investigative evidence in February and the state sued in March.