A Pentagon review of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s delayed notification of his January hospitalization found there was no deliberate attempt to “obfuscate” the situation but did make a series of recommendations to improve processes around the transfer of authorities to his deputy.
The summary of the review released on Monday, which was directed to be done by Austin’s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen on January 11, said Austin’s staff was limited “in three significant ways” during his hospitalization, which resulted from complications of a prostate cancer procedure in December.
“First, medical privacy laws prohibited medical providers from candid sharing of medical information with the Secretary’s staff,” the review said. “Second, for privacy reasons, his staff were hesitant to pry or share any information that they did learn. Third, the Secretary’s medical situation remained in flux and as long as he remained in the Critical Care Unit, timely secured communications could not be assured.”
The review — carried out by the director of the Office of Administration and Management, who the Pentagon spokesman said is a career official — was ordered after intense questioning by lawmakers over Austin’s transfer of authority during his hospitalization to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and the days-long delay in notification to the White House, Congress, and the public. The Pentagon inspector general also launched a review of whether appropriate policies are in place to ensure “timely and appropriate notifications” and the transfer of authorities.
The review made eight total recommendations, which Austin is implementing. Those mostly focus on processes and guidelines, such as requiring proposed training or communication plans to ensure officials and their staffs are aware of their…
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