Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said on Monday he would leave his post by October 1 in order to return to the private sector.
Nicholson faced criticism after a Washington Post investigation uncovered serious deficiencies in health care for Iraqi war veterans. Although the Walter Reed hospital was run by the Pentagon, Nicholson said the controversy affected his department.
The VA operates 1,400 clinics and hospitals and treats 5.5 million veterans annually, according to The Post.
Get the Story:VA Secretary Is Ending a Trying Tenure (The Washington Post 7/18)
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