Secretary of Defense Lloyd AustinSecretly hospitalizing Americans “unnecessarily” increased risks to US national security, according to a new report from the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General.
Pentagon The watchdog's scathing 188-page review examines the secretary's hospitalizations in December 2023, January 2024 and February 2024 and blames Austin's team for communication lapses and failure to devolve authority.
The inspector general's office cited the key role played by Austin's “strong desire for privacy about his medical condition” in the breakdown of communications within the Pentagon, as well as between the Department of Defense, the White House and Congress.
Neither Austin's Chief of Staff nor Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks knew of his cancer diagnosis or the procedure he underwent in December 2023. In fact, the Inspector General's Office notes that “virtually all of its staff” were unaware of Austin's medical condition and treatments.
doctor. Mark Siegel: Patient privacy does not cover Lloyd Austin Secret Hospital
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pauses as he speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on November 17, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The evidence also allegedly indicates that on January 1, 2024, when he was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to “severe” pain, Austin asked the ambulance not to use lights or sirens. Additionally, according to the report, Austin asked his personal security officer not to notify anyone of the incident.
“No one on Secretary Austin’s staff was aware of the severity of his condition, including when his condition worsened and he was transferred to the surgical intensive care unit on January 2,” the OIG noted in its report.
On January 3, 2024, Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamin, sent a text message to the secretary's junior military aide, who was in the hospital with the secretary at the time. In her letter, Magsamin urged the secretary to be more frank about his condition.
“I wish (Secretary Austin) was a normal person but he (Secretary of Defense). We have a huge institutional responsibility. He can't do his employees a complete injustice. … Please tell him we can't continue this.” “His hospitalization is forever a secret,” Magsamin wrote, according to the OIG report.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing about his failure to disclose his cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 29, 2024. (Reuters/Evelyn Hochstein)
The OIG also found that on February 11, 2024, when Austin was unexpectedly hospitalized again, his powers were not transferred “until several hours later.” Referring to this incident, the Inspector General's Office noted that “given the severity of his condition,” Austin authorities should have transported him “hours before it ultimately occurred.”
After the review, the Inspector General's Office presented DoD's 20 recommendations for “operational improvement” and advised the Department to act on them immediately.
Pentagon releases summary of Austin hospital review
“While the Department of Defense has taken some important steps to address these concerns, additional improvements are needed to ensure the Department of Defense is prepared, transparent, and fulfilling its mission. These improvements are not simply an administrative necessity,” Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement. “It is an operational and national security necessity.”
Ultimately, the report found that the Ministry of Defense lacked a “comprehensive” plan for handing over duties in the minister’s absence.
After the report was released, a senior Defense Department official admitted to reporters that Austin “made a mistake,” insisting that “there was no scandal” and “there was no cover-up.” The official also noted that “at every moment, the Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of Defense was fully prepared to support the President.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing about his recent hospital issues and outreach to President Biden at the Rayburn Building on February 29, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Austin acknowledged his office's shortcomings in a February 2024 news conference shortly after the hospitalization was announced.
“I want to be perfectly clear. We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right.” Austin said at the time Regarding his previous hospitalization, “I should have 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 the American people.”
Liz Frieden contributed to this report.
