RACISM/TRUMP PEOPLE/VA: “A senior Trump administration appointee at the Department of Veterans Affairs spread birther conspiracy theories about then-President Barack Obama and made anti-Muslim comments on social media while working for the Trump campaign in Arizona. Thayer Verschoor, the VA’s executive director of intergovernmental affairs, is a former Arizona state Senate majority leader and longtime ally of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a well-known birther who is currently running in the Republican primary for US Senate in Arizona. Shortly after joining the Trump campaign in 2016, Verschoor shared a Facebook post that praised then-candidate Trump for thinking ‘Obama’s birth certificate is a fraud’ and understanding there’s a Muslim ‘problem’ in the US. Verschoor originally served as a special assistant at the Department of Agricultural but transferred to the VA in 2017, a change that brought a significant promotion and pay raise to a pay grade reserved for senior level appointees. The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs serves as the VA’s ‘liaison in all intergovernmental affairs matters and is the primary point of contact with federal, state, local, American Indian, and Native Alaskan Government officials,’ according to their website. Verschoor joined the Trump campaign in January 2016 as the deputy state director in Arizona, according to a copy of his resume obtained from nonprofit watchdog organization American Oversight. He is one of a number of Trump campaign officials who have spread conspiracy theories and landed senior jobs in the administration.”
–Andrew Kaczynski, “Top Trump-appointee at Veterans Affairs spread conspiracy theories, made anti-Muslim comments,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, July 24, 2018 4:54 pm