Dempsey: Shinseki Should Be Held Accountable if VA Charges True

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the growing allegations against Veterans Affairs hospitals "outrageous," and said that even VA Secretary Eric Shinseki should be held accountable if they are true.

"It is outrageous — if the allegations actually are documented and proven, and I suspect some of them will be," Dempsey said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Employees who kept secret waiting lists to mask long wait times for sick veterans must be held accountable, Dempsey told guest host Martha Raddatz. "I think that Rick Shinseki has made it very clear they will be held accountable."

Raddatz asked if that accountability went all the way up to Shinseki himself, who has resisted calls for his resignation.

"At some point, the chief executive, the chairman, whoever it is, has to take responsibility for the entire organization and its performance," Dempsey said.

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