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Shanahan's nomination to head Pentagon on ice
Source: Politico
Shanahan’s nomination to head Pentagon on ice
An investigation into the acting defense secretary has stalled his hopes of winning President Donald Trump's nod.
By DAVID BROWN, DANIEL LIPPMAN and GABBY ORR 03/22/2019 08:27 PM EDT
Patrick Shanahan’s expected promotion to permanently head the Defense Department has stalled amid an ethics investigation and a series of unimpressive public performances, according to four people with knowledge of internal White House discussions.
Shanahan, who has served as the Pentagon’s acting chief since Jim Mattis resigned in December, has also been hampered by the deadly crashes of two airliners manufactured by his former employer, Boeing — the company that's also at the heart of his ethics problems.
The sources aware of the White House discussions believe Shanahan is still in the mix for the job, but they say recent events and his own missteps haven't done him any favors with President Donald Trump. And some said his fate will remain uncertain until the Defense Department's inspector general finishes a probe into allegations that Shanahan has privately boosted Boeing during meetings at the Pentagon.
With so much scrutiny on the crashes that killed a total of 346 people, it's enough to have “the Boeing stench on you” to hurt chances for a nomination right now, a former Defense Department official told POLITICO.
“The IG investigation has slowed the process down and there are quite a few of us who want to see the report before moving forward, including President Trump,” a senior White House official said. “He’s paying close attention, as he has always done with those he’s considering for top positions.”
-snip-
An investigation into the acting defense secretary has stalled his hopes of winning President Donald Trump's nod.
By DAVID BROWN, DANIEL LIPPMAN and GABBY ORR 03/22/2019 08:27 PM EDT
Patrick Shanahan’s expected promotion to permanently head the Defense Department has stalled amid an ethics investigation and a series of unimpressive public performances, according to four people with knowledge of internal White House discussions.
Shanahan, who has served as the Pentagon’s acting chief since Jim Mattis resigned in December, has also been hampered by the deadly crashes of two airliners manufactured by his former employer, Boeing — the company that's also at the heart of his ethics problems.
The sources aware of the White House discussions believe Shanahan is still in the mix for the job, but they say recent events and his own missteps haven't done him any favors with President Donald Trump. And some said his fate will remain uncertain until the Defense Department's inspector general finishes a probe into allegations that Shanahan has privately boosted Boeing during meetings at the Pentagon.
With so much scrutiny on the crashes that killed a total of 346 people, it's enough to have “the Boeing stench on you” to hurt chances for a nomination right now, a former Defense Department official told POLITICO.
“The IG investigation has slowed the process down and there are quite a few of us who want to see the report before moving forward, including President Trump,” a senior White House official said. “He’s paying close attention, as he has always done with those he’s considering for top positions.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/22/shanahan-pentagon-nomination-boeing-1291109