Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald is working diligently on his pledge to clean house and bring discipline back to the VA health care system. He recently fired Terry Wolf as director of the Pittsburgh VA hospitals for her mishandling of an outbreak of Legionaires’ disease. In that 2012 outbreak, six patients died and at least 16 more were sickened at VA facilities in Pittsburgh and its suburban outskirts.

But McDonald, a West Point graduate and former CEO of Procter and Gamble, missed the mark when the VA promoted Wolf’s chief subordinate, who had advised against disclosing the Legionnaires’ outbreak to the public. David Cord, deputy director of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System since June 2012, was promoted to direct the Erie VA Medical Center. An outcry of opposition has persisted since the VA announced his appointment Oct. 22. Among the loudest opponents were families of the Legionnaire’s victims.

Leading the opposition to Cord’s appointment is U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy. The Republican congressman from Upper St. Clair says Cord mishandled the truth.

Two days before the VA disclosed the Legionnaires’ outbreak on Nov. 16, 2012, Cord told a VA spokesman not to alert the public about it, according to published news reports citing internal e-mails. In response, the spokesman wrote in an e-mail to a coworker that Cord “does not want to be proactive and go to the media with a statement.”

Instead, Cord advised the spokesman to prepare a statement, in case “they come to us, which we are anticipating they will.”

But Murphy’s differences with Cord arose from the VA waiting list scandal that surfaced this past spring. In a series of heated telephone calls in May, Cord said veterans in Pittsburgh didn’t wait longer than 30 days for care, and that Pittsburgh didn’t keep a secret waiting list like the one in Phoenix that caused a national outcry.

But while Cord was talking with Murphy, Wolf — Cord’s boss — was telling another congressman that a separate list did indeed exist, and that it included more than 700 veterans trying to enroll for care, some waiting longer than a year for their first appointment.

Wolf — who apparently was attempting to face the truth — got fired; Cord prevaricated and got promoted.

Cord’s promotion, which Murphy called “incomprehensible and indefensible,” should have gotten more scrutiny from McDonald. Congress has passed legislation giving McDonald the power to instantly fire senior VA executives — a power McDonald has used sparingly.

Cord’s transfer to Erie makes him a newcomer to U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s Third District. In a statement issued several weeks ago, Kelly, R-Butler, indicated he had spoken with Cord by telephone and they intend to meet in person soon.

That’s a prudent move for Kelly. As the elected representative of the people, he has oversight of the VA health care system and its executive staff.

As our elected representative, Kelly must make sure that Cord does his job to the public’s satisfaction; and that McDonald does his job, too.