JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Office of the Inspector General has just released a new report that confirms, as early as last year, cockroaches were in food being served to veterans, and while senior leadership at the Illinois Department of Veterans facility knew about it, they did nothing.

According to the OIG report on the Hines VA facility, veterans reported finding roaches in their food and around it and inspectors reviewed emails dating back to 2015, of leadership staff discussing the cockroach problem.

Inspectors made a surprise visit on May 10, 2016 and observed "conditions favorable to pest infestation." In a summary of the findings, OIG says, "Cockroaches were persistently present in and around the food service area...Patients received food trays containing cockroaches...Leadership knew about the unsanitary conditions (cockroaches) in the NFS kitchens and did not resolve the problem."

OIG inspectors also observed food carts that had not been leaned and grime and debris that not only attracted roaches, but provided a place for them to hide.

“It’s disgraceful that American veterans seeking medical care were surrounded by cockroaches while VA officials stood idly by," said Concerned Veterans of America Policy Director Dan Caldwell. "It’s nearly impossible to get terminated at the VA, so employees have very little incentive to follow the rules and many simply stop caring about doing their jobs. Congress needs to act quickly to give Secretary Shulkin the ability to get these negligent officials out and clean up this toxic culture.”

Over a five year period, the Hines VA facility has had 10 different directors. One of them was Sharon Helman -- the now infamous director of the Phoenix VA who oversaw the wait list manipulation scandal in 2014.

OIG finished its report by recommending the Hines VA do the following:

Veterans Integrated Service Network Director ensure that the Facility Director complete an analysis of the basement and sub-basement structures to determine if adequate measures are in place to prevent water infiltration.

Facility Director ensure that Nutrition and Food Service kitchen staffing is sufficient to perform all required duties, including cleaning and sanitation.

Facility Director complete an analysis of the feasibility of relocating the main kitchen to an area that limits the environmental conditions for pests.

The Associated Press reports Hines VA officials say the problems are being fixed.

Concerned Veterans of America (CVA) points to this OIG report and others and says it will continue its push for the U.S. Senate to pass the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, which was introduced on the Senate floor by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

The bill, which has already passed the U.S. House, would reduce the amount of time it takes to fire bad employees at the VA, give VA Secretary David Shulkin the ability to recoup bonuses awarded to employees who are found to have engaged in misconduct, and reduce the pensions of VA employees found guilty of felonies related to their employment at the VA.

The legislation would ensure that VA employees who are terminated will not remain on the VA payroll while appealing their terminations and will also increase protections for whistleblowers to help ensure that they are not retaliated against for speaking up about wrongdoings at the department.