Commissioner to probe systematic privacy abuses at Veterans Affairs

Jennifer Stoddard is launching an investigation after uncovering evidence bureaucrats may have circulated private records.

Yesterday afternoon Stoddard, the federal privacy commissioner, announced a major audit of Veterans Affairs, saying she had evidence that the invasion of veterans’ privacy might be widespread in the department. Her announcement seemed to contradict statements earlier in the day from Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, who said it was the federal government which had called for the probe. The audit comes after Sean Bruyea, a Gulf War veteran and outspoken critic of the department, found out that his medical and psychiatric records were part of a briefing given to former veterans minister Greg Thompson. Outgoing Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran, another critic of the department, has also expressed concern that bureaucrats may have misused his records.