Trump’s New Acting Secretary of Defense Now Under Ethics Investigation

Yet another top Trump administration official is now under investigation. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, is being investigated for ethics violations related to his alleged acts of helping his previous employer.

“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,” DoD IG spokesperson Dwrena Allen said, according to Politico.

Shanahan was Trump’s January 1 quick pick to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned in a widely-distributed letter condemning the Commander-in-Chief.

While Deputy Defense Secretary, Shanahan reportedly disparaged Boeing rival Lockheed Martin during meetings at the Pentagon, “and held up Boeing as an example,” Politico adds.

Shanahan, who worked for Boeing for three decades, allegedly called a Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jet “f—ed up,” and criticized the company.

He also reportedly tried to force the Air Force to buy a different Boeing fighter jet, the F-15X, against the Air Force’s wishes.

“More than half of Trump’s 20-person Cabinet has engaged in questionable or unethical conduct,” Marketplace reported one year ago.

The Center for American Progress reported last week that “Four top Trump administration officials have resigned under a cloud of corruption after wasting taxpayer dollars or abusing their position for personal gain: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt; U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs David Shulkin; and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.”

CAP also noted that President Trump “is doubling down on nominating conflicted individuals to his Cabinet.”