US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the press on August 18, 2021, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Olivier Douliery | Afp | Getty Images
The Defense Department’s inspector general has launched a formal investigation into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to notify the White House and Congress of his emergency hospitalization.
The inspector general will “assess whether the DoD’s policies and procedures are sufficient” to ensure proper communication when senior leadership is unavailable for medical or other reasons. In other words, the Pentagon’s watchdog wants to make sure Austin’s lack of transparency never happens again.
For at least three days, Austin failed to tell President Joe Biden and Congress that he had been admitted to the intensive care unit for complications following prostate cancer surgery. Austin transferred certain operational responsibilities to his second-in-command, but did not tell his deputy that she had those power for several days.
The lack of transparency sent shockwaves through the halls of Washington. Several lawmakers have called on Austin to resign. The Pentagon and the White House insist the secretary will not step down.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.