The scathing federal report, released last week, that explains why so many residents died of COVID-19 at the state-run Menlo Park and Paramus veterans homes has prompted calls for criminal charges to be filed. The Department of Justice report cites lack of competence, failure at infection control and the cascading effect of poor management that it claims persist at the facilities despite changes made by the Murphy administration.
“Nobody really wants to take responsibility. Nobody wants to be held accountable,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-9th). “Well, you want to know something? I want to see people appear before the justice system on the decisions they made for our veterans.”
“There needs to be a cleaning of house and we need to get competent medical people in there that know how to run long-term care facilities and that can raise the level of care for these most disenfranchised veterans and their family members,” said Jay Boxwell, legislative director for the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign War.
Families who lost loved ones at the homes have long complained about the lack of transparency from New Jersey’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which operates the facilities. Now lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are suggesting changes, including a new, cabinet-level department to handle veterans affairs.
