Today, on an afternoon press call Rep. Katrina Shankland and Executive Director of the Veterans Leadership Coalition, Keith Howard-Streicher discussed potential Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson ignoring whistleblowers and skipping a briefing concerning the care provided at Wisconsin Veterans Home at King.
Even after reports of the horrible conditions and lack of resources for staff members and residents alike of the Veterans Home at King, it was revealed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Kevin Nicholson ignored whistleblowers as early as 2013 and skipped a Veterans Affairs board meeting at King in July of last year.
“Nicholson was in a prime position to stop the problems at Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, but he did nothing until it was politically advantageous. Instead, Nicholson let down Wisconsin’s veterans by ignoring their plight and refusing to act on troubling claims presented to him,” Rep. Katrina Shankland said on today’s call. “Wisconsin’s veterans deserve far better. The sacrifice they made to defend our freedoms and our liberty cannot be denied — and that sacrifice should be honored by people like Kevin Nicholson who are supposed to serve the interests of our brave veterans.”
Keith Howard-Streicher, Executive Director of the Veterans Leadership Coalition, served in the U.S. Army, completing tours in South Korea and the Anbar province of Iraq. When Keith returned home he received assistance in finding employment, getting enrolled in school, and vocational rehabilitation. Kevin Nicholson’s lack of action concerning the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King let down veterans in our state like Keith Howard-Streicher.
“The stories of mistreatment at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King are disgusting and un-American. A World War II veteran who survived Nazi captivity but didn’t survive King because of neglect? That is an injustice to an American hero,” said Keith Howard-Streicher. “The stories at King that continue to surface are heartbreaking and Nicholson’s lack of action is despicable. Nicholson should have done something earlier, much earlier. I respect Kevin and his service to our country. Anyone who puts on a uniform deserves our respect and admiration. But Kevin signed up to serve his fellow veterans as a voice for them on the WDVA Board and he let us down.”
