Secretary Austin’s secret hospitalization ‘unnecessarily’ increased US national security risks, report concludes
Defense Minister Lloyd AustinThe secret hospitalizations “unnecessarily” increased the risk to US national security, according to a new report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (OIG).
Pentagon The Watchdog’s scathing 188-page review scrutinizes the secretary’s hospitalizations in December 2023, January 2024 and February 2024 and places the blame on Austin’s team for communication lapses and failures to delegate authority.
The OIG noted the major role that Austin’s “strong desire for privacy regarding his medical condition” played in the breakdown of communications within the Pentagon, as well as between the Defense Department and the White House and Congress.
Neither Austin’s chief of staff nor Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks knew of his cancer diagnosis or the procedure he underwent in December 2023. In fact, the OIG notes that “virtually all members of his staff” were unaware of Austin’s medical condition and treatment.
DR. MARC SIEGEL: PATIENT PRIVACY DOES NOT COVER LLOYD AUSTIN’S SECRET HOSPITALIZATION
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pauses as he speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon on November 17, 2021 in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The evidence also allegedly shows that on Jan. 1, 2024, when he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in “severe” pain, Austin requested that the EMS not use lights or sirens. Additionally, according to the report, Austin told his bodyguard not to inform anyone about the incident.
“No one on Secretary Austin’s staff knew the seriousness of his condition, including when his condition worsened and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit on January 2,” the OIG noted in its report.
On January 3, 2024, Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, sent a text message to the secretary’s junior military assistant, who was at the hospital with the secretary at the time. In her message, Magsamen urged the secretary to be more honest about his condition.
“I want to [Secretary Austin] was a normal person, but he [Secretary of Defense]. We have a great institutional responsibility. He can’t just completely black out his staff. … Please tell him that we cannot keep his hospitalization a secret forever. It’s a big deal for him to be in [SICU]. I am concerned too, Magsamen wrote, according to the OIG report.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies before the House Armed Services Committee hearing on his failure to disclose his cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 29, 2024. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
The OIG also found that on February 11, 2024, when Austin was unexpectedly hospitalized once again, his authority was not transferred “until several hours later.” Regarding this incident, the OIG noted that “given the seriousness of his condition,” Austin’s authorities should have been moved “hours earlier than ultimately occurred.”
After the review, the OIG made 20 “process improvement” recommendations to DOD and advised the department to act on them immediately.
PENTAGON RELEASES SUMMARY OF AUSTIN HOSPITAL REVIEW
Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement that “while the Department of Defense has taken some important steps to address these issues, additional improvements are needed to ensure readiness, transparency, and delivery of the DoD mission. These improvements are not just an administrative necessity; they are operational and the national security imperative.”
Ultimately, the report found that the Department of Defense lacks a “comprehensive” plan for the handover of duties in the absence of the secretary.
After the report was released, a senior defense official admitted to reporters that Austin had “made a mistake,” insisting there was “no scandal” and “no cover-up.” The official also noted that “at any time, either the Minister of Defense or the Deputy Minister of Defense were fully prepared to support the President.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on his recent hospitalization and communication problems with 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 at a press conference in February 2024 shortly after the hospitalizations became public.
“I want to be crystal clear. We didn’t address this right, and I didn’t address this right,” Austin said then in connection with 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 Friden contributed to this report.
