VA chief under investigation for allegedly having staffer run errand with him at Home Depot: report

Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin is under investigation for allegedly having a member of his security team shop with him at Home Depot and then carry furniture into Shulkin’s home, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The incident is reportedly included in an ongoing audit into whether the agency head used security staffers for personal errands. 

President Trump is reportedly considering firing Shulkin and replacing him with Energy Secretary Rick Perry, as Shulkin faces ongoing political infighting within the VA.

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Shulkin has claimed that political appointees in the department are undermining him. The Washington Post reported last week that the VA head now has an armed guard at his door and has canceled all meetings with the Trump appointees.

Chief of staff John Kelly has warned Shulkin to stop creating drama in the VA and to get his act together, Axios reported Sunday. He also reportedly promised to help Shulkin with his staffing issues.

However, Kelly was blindsided when Shulkin told the media that the White House official supported the removal of VA staffers that didn’t back Shulkin, according to Axios.

The VA secretary also came under scrutiny after the department’s inspector general found he had improperly used government resources on a trip to Europe with his wife last year, including having the VA foot the bill for his wife’s airfare and accepting a pair of Wimbledon tickets.