WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer or when complications worsened his condition last year, the Pentagon’s watchdog concluded in a highly critical report released Wednesday.
The inspector general’s report faults Austin for the communications failures early last year in which he kept his hospitalization secret for days, even from President Joe Biden. The inspector general found that his strong desire for privacy likely influenced his staff in deciding not to prod further into his condition.
In one example, he directed his staff that if anyone had questions, “you’re more than welcome to ask (me) directly” — likely chilling further inquiry, the report said.
Austin did not inform either Congress or the White House of his initial treatment in December 2023 for prostate cancer or tell his staff or the White House of his worsening complications on Jan. 1, 2024, which led him to be taken by ambulance to Walter Reed Army National Military Medical Center.
“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) the following day,” the report said.
The report, signed by inspector general Robert Storch, comes just four days before Austin leaves the job and President-elect Donald Trump takes office. It provides new details on communications between Austin and members of his staff, but no real bombshells about the stunning lapse.
The findings mirror much of the criticism in an internal review done about a month after Austin was admitted to Walter Reed. That internal review, done by Austin’s subordinates, largely absolved anyone of wrongdoing for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization. And it said flatly there was “no indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate.”
Although he transferred decision-making authorities to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks during his initial surgery and then again when he was in intensive care, he did not tell her why and he did not inform the White House.
The incident angered the White House and infuriated members of Congress, who called him to Capitol Hill for a hearing, where he faced bipartisan criticism and demands that someone should have been held accountable.
Austin himself, in a lengthy press conference after he returned to work, largely took the blame. He told reporters that he never told his staff to keep his surgery and hospitalization secret from the White House, but acknowledged that he should have handled it differently and apologized for keeping Biden and others in the dark.
Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December 2023 and went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for surgery on Dec. 22. On Jan. 1, 2024, he was taken back to Walter Reed by ambulance after experiencing significant pain and was moved to the intensive care unit the next day.
Pentagon officials have acknowledged that public affairs and defense aides were told on Jan. 2 that Austin had been hospitalized, but did not make it public and did not tell the military service leaders or the National Security Council until Jan. 4. Only then did Biden find out. It took four more days before the reason for his hospitalization was disclosed.
The internal review blamed privacy restrictions and staff hesitancy for their failure to quickly notify the president and other senior leaders about Austin’s hospitalization. And it called for a number of procedural changes to improve communications and avoid similar problems in the future.
The changes include better guidelines for the transfer of authorities and better reporting requirements during those incidents. And the White House also made changes in federal guidelines as a result of the incident.
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