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Louisville’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center Director Martin Traxler resigned Friday, the same day the federal agency asked for his removal.

Traxlar was accused of “whistle blower retaliation, conduct unbecoming of a senior executive and lack of candor,” according to a statement from the Office of Veterans Affairs.

VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour said he is upholding VA Secretary David Shulkin’s principles.

“Secretary Shulkin has made clear that VA will hold employees accountable when they fail to live up to the high standards taxpayers expect from us,”  Cashour told Courier Journal.  “And that’s exactly what we moved to do in this case.”

He did not explain any other reasoning for Traxler’s firing. Louisville VA spokeswoman Judy Williams deferred all comment to the national agency.

Emma Metcalf, medical center director at Lexington VA Medical Center, will take over as acting director at Louisville’s center until a replacement is hired. Traxler has served as the director of Louisville’s VA medical center since November 2014.

Thomas Novelly: 502-582-4465; [email protected]; Twitter: @TomNovelly. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/tomn.