Six veterans who years later learned they received poor care from a podiatrist say Veterans Affairs concealed those findings to limit the veterans’ ability to sue.

The Maine Sunday Telegram reports a federal district judge will decide whether their lawsuits against the federal government can move forward.

Federal lawyers moved to dismiss the cases and argued veterans waited too long to file the suits. The VA has acknowledged it took years to notify the veterans about problems with treatment they received from podiatrist Thomas Franchini at the Togus VA hospital.

VA officials deny they concealed such findings to avoid lawsuits.

A VA spokesman said Franchini resigned from the VA after the agency told him to step down or face being fired in 2010. Franchini declined comment on the suits.