Joe Biden’s administration is corrupt to its core. And the rot is finally being shown to the American people.
Because an incriminating cover-up was revealed in a shocking IG report.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s decision to keep his medical issues under wraps last year “unnecessarily” heightened risks to national security, according to a new report from the Defense Department’s Inspector General.
Inspector General Robert Storch released a comprehensive report Wednesday, revealing that Austin kept his staff largely uninformed while undergoing several medical procedures from December 2023 to January 2024.
One instance, Storch noted, saw Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks unknowingly serving as acting secretary of defense during Austin’s hospitalization in early January.
Storch emphasized the importance of better handling such scenarios in the future, stating it is a “national security imperative” for the Defense Department to enhance its protocols.
“The ability for the DoD and the government to operate seamlessly and the continuity of leadership under any and all circumstances are fundamental to our national security,” Storch said.
“Although we found no adverse consequences to DoD operations arising from how the hospitalizations we reviewed were handled, the risks to our national defense, including the command and control of the DoD’s critical national security operations, were increased unnecessarily.”
The cloak of secrecy began on December 22, 2023, when Austin underwent a prostatectomy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Less than two weeks later, on January 1, he was rushed back to the hospital via ambulance after experiencing complications.
According to the report, Austin’s condition worsened on January 2, prompting his staff to transfer authority to Hicks. Yet, Austin’s preference for privacy greatly influenced the chain of events, Storch wrote.
“Secretary Austin’s strong desire for privacy about his medical condition is a thread that runs through all the events that we reviewed, including in his public statements about his hospitalization,” the report stated. “His desire for privacy was well known by his staff and affected many of the events at issue in various ways.”
The report revealed Austin informed only a select few at the Defense Department about his December 22 surgery — specifically his Personal Security Officer (PSO) and Junior Military Assistant (JMA).
Even his closest advisors, including Hicks, his chief of staff, General Charles Brown, and Lieutenant General Ronald Clark, were left in the dark. Storch criticized Austin’s decision not to notify Congress or the White House.
When complications arose on January 1, Austin reportedly instructed his security team to avoid using sirens or lights and ordered, “We’re not notifying anybody.”
Believing his hospital stay would last just a few hours, he failed to inform Hicks or his senior staff, leaving them unaware of his condition’s severity as it deteriorated.
“No one on Secretary Austin’s staff knew the seriousness of his condition, including when his condition became worse and he was transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) on January 2,” the report revealed.
It wasn’t until Austin was moved to the surgical unit that senior DoD officials were finally informed, and authority was transferred to Hicks, Storch said.
In response to the findings, Storch recommended 20 actions for the Defense Department, including new policies to improve communication and prevent similar missteps. The DoD has agreed to implement these measures.
Following public scrutiny of the situation last year, Austin held a press conference to apologize for his handling of the matter.
“We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right,” Austin said. “I should’ve told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public. And I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
