by AFP News Staff at Insider Paper
The Pentagon’s independent inspector general will investigate US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to report his hospitalization to the rest of the government, a memo released Thursday said.
Austin kept President Joe Biden and Congress in the dark about his prostate cancer diagnosis for weeks and did not inform them about his hospitalization at the beginning of the year, leading to growing calls for him to resign or be fired.
The situation is a major headache for Biden in an election year, putting the president on the defensive and providing an opening for attacks by Republicans who are already painting him as too old to manage the job.
“The objective of the review is to examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to the Secretary of Defense’s hospitalization in December 2023 – January 2024,” the memo said, referring to Austin’s prostate cancer treatment and subsequent complications.
The probe will also assess whether Defense Department “policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities,” it added.
Austin, a 70-year-old career soldier,…
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