Administrative Investigation Misuse of Position, Abuse of Authority, and Prohibited Personnel Practices Office of Information & Technology Washington, DC

We substantiated that Ms. Katherine Adair Martinez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Protection and Risk Management, Office of Information and Technology, misused her position, abused her authority, and engaged in prohibited personnel practices when she influenced a VA contractor and later her VA subordinates to employ Ms. Laura Nash. Ms. Martinez misused her position when she took advantage of an inappropriate personal relationship with the former Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, Mr. Robert Howard, to move her duty station to Florida even though she spent almost 60 percent of her time at VA Central Office on official travel; she failed to provide proper contract oversight; and she did not properly fulfill her duties as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). Ms. Kathryn Maginnis, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, abused her authority and XXXXX and XXXXX engaged in prohibited personnel practices in the filling of four GS-15 positions.