Donald Trump has a lot of “acting” positions in his administration, including the acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who took over for Gen. James Mattis when he resigned. Shanahan previously worked for more than 30 years at Boeing, and that is creating a problem in his new position.
BREAKING: Last week we filed a complaint against acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan over apparently using his position to promote his former employer Boeing. Now he's under investigation. https://t.co/TkaRtLJpz7
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 20, 2019
After two crashes by Boeing’s Max 8 in Indonesia and Ethiopia, an investigation into how the aircraft was deemed “safe” just two weeks before the tragic incidences occurred began, and Shanahan’s ties to Boeing have led to an entirely separate investigation into him.
The Washington Post reports that:
‘The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has decided to investigate complaints we recently received that Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan allegedly took actions to promote his former employer, Boeing, and disparage its competitors, allegedly in violation of ethics rules.’
Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, known for landing a plane full of passengers on the Hudson, wrote an op-ed criticizing the FAA for outsourcing its inspections to Boeing employees, saying it created “conflicts of interest” and damaged credibility. https://t.co/NMADcCI3Ya
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 20, 2019
The Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General initiated the investigation into the number two man at the Pentagon. Shanahan’s spokespeople issued a statement upon release of the news, while Shanahan himself called the investigation “just noise.”
‘Acting Secretary Shanahan has at all times remained committed to upholding his ethics agreement filed with the DoD. This agreement ensures any matters pertaining to Boeing are handled by appropriate officials within the Pentagon to eliminate any perceived or actual conflict of interest issue with Boeing.’
When I heard reports that @ActingSecDef Patrick Shanahan may have worked to promote his former employer @Boeing, I took action and investigated. Government officials should work for the people – not big defense contractors.https://t.co/J8yLEB8uXW
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 20, 2019
The ethics complaint alleges that Shanahan promoted Boeing’s interests while criticizing Lockheed Martin, a rival of the aircraft company. In a statement by the Office of the Inspector General, they wrote that:
‘The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has decided to investigate complaints we recently received that Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan allegedly took actions to promote his former employer, Boeing, and disparage its competitors, allegedly in violation of ethics rules.’
The Pentagon's inspector general has begun an investigation into Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan's reported Boeing bias, the IG's office said Wednesday https://t.co/jjpTL0iM6X
— POLITICO (@politico) March 20, 2019
All of Trump’s promises to “drain the swamp” have turned out to be just more lies from the president now that he’s in the Whtie House, as his cabinet members continue to turn out to be working more in their own interest than the American people’s.
‘CREW cited news stories saying Shanahan had criticized Lockheed Martin, a chief rival to Boeing, and had urged the Pentagon to buy more Boeing-manufactured F-15X fighter jets in defiance of Air Force acquisition preferences.’
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license