Vets Donate Lawsuit Award to Charities
Military veterans who settled an identity-theft lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs said they will donate $13 million to veterans' charities.
John Rowan, 64, of New York, a Vietnam veteran and plaintiff in the class-action suit, and about 20 million other veterans settled with the VA for $20 million, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
The veterans sued the VA after an employee's laptop with veterans' personal data was stolen in 2006. The veterans said the VA didn't do enough to protect them after finding the sensitive information was missing, the newspaper reported.
The veterans said they will donate the money to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation, New York charities that help families of killed and wounded soldiers.
"When I first heard about it, it just really knocked me down. It's indicative of the kind of men and women they are," said Ken Fisher, chief executive officer of Fisher House.
"It's just an incredible gift. Veterans have been forgotten about by many people of this country. They're the ones who deserve the credit," Fisher House Foundation Chairman Arnold Fisher said.
"The veterans are very glad to have done this. These two are the most substantial organizations around. But the bottom line is, we had to make sure the VA doesn't do this again," Rowan said.
John Rowan, 64, of New York, a Vietnam veteran and plaintiff in the class-action suit, and about 20 million other veterans settled with the VA for $20 million, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
The veterans sued the VA after an employee's laptop with veterans' personal data was stolen in 2006. The veterans said the VA didn't do enough to protect them after finding the sensitive information was missing, the newspaper reported.
The veterans said they will donate the money to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation, New York charities that help families of killed and wounded soldiers.
"When I first heard about it, it just really knocked me down. It's indicative of the kind of men and women they are," said Ken Fisher, chief executive officer of Fisher House.
"It's just an incredible gift. Veterans have been forgotten about by many people of this country. They're the ones who deserve the credit," Fisher House Foundation Chairman Arnold Fisher said.
"The veterans are very glad to have done this. These two are the most substantial organizations around. But the bottom line is, we had to make sure the VA doesn't do this again," Rowan said.
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