CARBONDALE - Illinois Congressman Jerry Costello says the U.S. Justice Department should begin an investigation into the deaths of nine veterans at VA Medical Center in Marion last year.

The Belleville Democrat's comments come about a week after the first round of findings from an investigation by the VA's Administrative Investigative Board were made public. Among the findings in that report, investigators learned that hospital administrators knowingly hired surgeons with histories of malpractice and then sought to cover up their actions.

Previous internal investigations linked surgical error in the deaths of nine people, while ten other deaths at the hospital are suspected of being the result of "less than optimum care."

An investigation by the Justice Department would be the first conducted by an agency outside the VA.

"What you had were administrators down here who were more interested in managing their budget than providing quality health care," Costello said. "You had some of them (veterans) go in for a minor surgical procedure and come out dead. They (administrators) were concerned about getting stars on their budget report card."

Costello said that when considered with the fetid conditions discovered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. two years ago, it's clear the VA has a problem.

"When an administrator hears about nine people dying in one of their hospitals, I'd be on a plane immediately saying 'what the hell went wrong,'" he said. "That didn't happen."

Jose Veizaga-Mendez, a former surgeon at the VA who was found to have been at least partly responsible for nine patient deaths last year has since lost his license to practice in Illinois.

Through their investigation, AIB investigators learned that hospital management was aware of Veizeg-Mendez's checkered career history, which included licensing difficulties in Massachusetts.

AIB investigators said that management at Marion dismissed warnings as to the surgeon's credentials as "administrative difficulties."

The hospital's Medical Director Dr. Joseph Herman lost his job. Other administrators have been transferred to other positions though none have yet to be fired, a fact that miffs Costello.

"What's it take to get fired over there?" he said. "What does it take to lose your job?"

As to whether criminal charges should be laid Costello said he'll reserve judgment until the current AIB investigation is completed.

Two more separate releases are expected from the AIB.