Timeline of Shinseki’s fall

January 2014 — CNN reports that 19 patients died while waiting for treatment in VA hopitals.

April 9 — House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs holds a hearing on the allegations that patients died from delayed treatments and secret waiting lists at a Phoenix, Ariz., VA hospital. The VA’s Office of the Inspector General initiates an investigation.

May 1 — VA Secretary Eric Shinseki places three agency directors on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing. Among them is Sharon Helman, who denies any knowledge of mismanagement and welcomes an investigation. 

May 5 — The American Legion, the nation’s largest veteran’s group, calls for Shinseki’s resignation and the resignation of other top VA officials. 

May 6 — Republican Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.), John Cornyn (Texas) and Richard Burr (N.C.) become the first lawmakers to call for Shinseki’s ouster.

May 15 — Shinseki testifies before Congress and says he is “mad as hell” about what has happened. 

May 21 — Shinseki meets with President Obama, who expresses his support of the embattled secretary in a press conference later that day.

May 21 — Reps. John Barrow (Ga.) and David Scott (Ga.) become the first Democratic lawmakers to call for Shinseki’s resignation. Dozens of congressional Democrats and Democratic candidates running for office this fall subsequently called for the VA chief to step down.

May 28 — The preliminary findings of the VA IG investigation confirm the allegations of four-month wait-times and 1,700 patients absent from wait lists at Phoenix hospitals. The report says the problem is systemic. More Democrats call on Shinseki to step down.

May 30 — Shinseki meets with Obama. The president accepts Shinseki’s resignation and appoints deputy secretary Sloan Gibson as interim secretary.