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From Fox News: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has placed nearly 60 employees on leave who focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and had a combined salary of more than $8 million.
The VA said in a press release Monday that it completed its implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order to end DEI in the federal government.
Part of the VA’s abolishment of DEI within the agency meant placing on paid administrative leave about 60 employees who were solely focused on DEI activities.
The VA said the combined salary of the employees – including base pay, locality pay and additional earnings – exceeds $8 million, with the average pay being about $136,000 per year, per employee.
One of the DEI employees was making a salary of over $220,000 per year, the VA said.
in addition to the $8 million in salaries for DEI employees, the VA found another $6 million being wasted in DEI training. The VA press release further reads:
Additionally, VA has 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.
In the coming weeks and months, VA will be working to reallocate these resources to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve.
VA is also in the process of taking down a variety of DEI-related media from its various digital properties.
The press release doesn’t clarify how long the DEI employees will be on paid leave, and whether they will eventually be reassigned to other roles or terminated.
President Trump has nominated former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) to serve as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, but he is still waiting senate confirmation.
VA ends DEI, stops millions in spending on DEI https://t.co/gj7sD7gSPP
— Veterans Affairs (@DeptVetAffairs) January 27, 2025
“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,” said VA Director of Media Affairs Morgan Ackley.
VA is proud to abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission. We look forward to reallocating the millions department was spending on DEI programs and personnel to better serve the men and women who have bravely served our nation https://t.co/4XRnpFLGXd
— Morgan Ackley (@ATLMRA) January 27, 2025
Department of Veterans Affairs places 60 DEI employees on leave with salaries totaling more than $8M https://t.co/Zij6t1EJI5
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 28, 2025
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