The Guardian: “Exclusive: US Veterans Agency Orders Scientists Not to Publish in Journals Without Clearance”

From The Guardian:

Senior officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs have ordered that VA physicians and scientists not publish in medical journals or speak with the public without first seeking clearance from political appointees of Donald Trump, the Guardian has learned.

The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour, the VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum, a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a perspective co-authored by two pulmonologists who work for the VA in Texas.

“We have guidance for this,” wrote Cashour, a former Republican congressional aide and campaign consultant, attaching the journal article. “These people did not follow it.”

[Clip]

In an email statement, the VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said the agency’s policy on publications and public comments “simply requires VA employees to properly coordinate with public affairs staff prior to speaking with the media. Virtually every organization both inside and outside government has similar policies.”

The policy “has been in place for several years across both Democrat and Republican administrations”, he said.

Learn More, Read the Complete Article (885 words)

See Also: Washington Post: “RFK Jr. Says He May Bar Scientists From Publishing in Top Medical Journals” (May 28. 2025)

Filed under: News, Publishing