New York, NY (February 24, 2015) — IAVA today released the following statement from CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff:

“While trying to connect with a homeless veteran, Secretary McDonald clearly made a mistake. He called me personally today to apologize for that mistake and we at IAVA accept his apology. We know Secretary McDonald is a man of exceptional commitment who served honorably and cares deeply about our veterans. All of America has witnessed his deep dedication to our community in his first few months on the job. IAVA is committed to helping him succeed in this extremely tough job and to focusing on the most urgent challenges facing us like reforming VA, battling suicide and ending homelessness. We hope critics and leaders in the media will commit to the same.”