Leadership Quote by Steve Buyer

Expectation is doing heavy lifting here: it lets Steve Buyer sound both commanding and blameless. By saying, "I expect VA's inspector general and the FBI to work closely together", he frames himself as the adult in the room, above the messy particulars, while quietly implying that the real failure sits somewhere below him in the bureaucracy. The line is less about the leak itself than about restoring a hierarchy of competence and control.

The pairing of the VA inspector general with the FBI is strategic. Inspectors general signal internal accountability; the FBI signals muscle, seriousness, and the possibility of handcuffs. Put together, they create a two-track promise: fix the system ("identify and eliminate the flaws") and punish the offender ("prosecute any criminal acts"). That duality matters politically because it speaks to two audiences at once: reform-minded constituents who want procedures tightened, and law-and-order voters who want someone to pay.

"Flaws that allowed this leak" carries the key subtext. It nudges the narrative away from motive or whistleblowing and toward security breakdown. In a post-9/11 political culture, calling something a "leak" primes the public to hear "threat", not "disclosure". The language also leaves room to treat the leaker as a criminal regardless of whether the leak exposed wrongdoing; "any criminal acts" is broad enough to sound measured while keeping prosecution on the table.

Even the collective "we" is calculated: it invites solidarity while deputizing the public into a crackdown. The intent is clear: reassert institutional authority, contain reputational damage, and turn a moment of vulnerability into a performance of control.