Ms. Donaghy leads the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), which was established under the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 and is charged with advising the Secretary on all matters of relating to accountability at VA. In addition, OAWP conducts investigations into allegations of senior leader misconduct and poor performance and allegations of whistleblower retaliation by VA supervisors, refers whistleblower disclosures for investigation, and tracks and confirms VA’s implementation of recommendations from audits and investigations carried out by investigative entities.
Prior to joining VA, Ms. Donaghy served as a Senior Advisor at the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware where she worked on policy and programming involving veterans and military families, and support for victims of gender-based violence. Ms. Donaghy started her career as a Certified Public Accountant, attended law school, and has practiced law in Pennsylvania and Delaware. She served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Delaware, where she focused on white collar fraud and received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney. Since leaving the Department of Justice, Ms. Donaghy has counselled numerous organizations involving investigations and building effective compliance programs, including in Title IX implementation, healthcare compliance and public education. Working with the Inspector General of Philadelphia, Ms. Donaghy established an operating Inspector General’s Office for the Philadelphia School District. As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Delaware, Ms. Donaghy has taught accounting, law and criminal justice courses. Ms. Donaghy has participated in numerous pro bono and community service activities throughout her career, including representation of veterans.
Ms. Donaghy has a Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Delaware.
