Walz and Vance’s medical files viewed illicitly by veterans department staff

At least a dozen department employees are believed to have improperly viewed the files, prompting an investigation

A criminal investigation is under way after staff at the US Department of Veterans Affairs illicitly accessed the medical records of Tim Walz and JD Vance, the Democratic and Republican vice-presidential nominees.

At least a dozen employees - including one doctor and one contractor - at the department's healthcare body, the Veterans Health Administration, are believed to have improperly viewed the files, according to the department's investigators.