Two VA officials in Philly suspended over party fees, psychic

Two senior officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs have been suspended after an audit found they charged subordinates money to attend a work-related party that featured psychic readings.

In a notice to Congress, the VA said it had temporarily suspended Lucy Filipov, the assistant director of the Philadelphia office, and Gary Hodge, who heads the Pension Management Center. Both employees will remain on the VA payroll pending an internal review.

The VA said neither employee would be immediately available for comment.

An audit last week found that Filipov hosted a party where employees were charged $30 or more to attend, specifically for the purpose of having fortunes told by Hodge’s wife. Auditors found employees “were generally not enamored of the psychic experience.”