Top military aide removed from job, under investigation

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has suddenly fired his top military aide citing allegations of misconduct, and referred the matter to the department’s inspector general.

Defense officials would not provide any details about why Army Lt Gen Ron Lewis was removed from his job. A senior defense official said Carter learned of the allegations Tuesday night and later informed the inspector general.

Carter was surprised by the allegations and met with Lewis yesterday morning, said the official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I expect the highest possible standards of conduct from the men and women in this department particularly from those serving in the most senior positions,” said Carter in a statement released yesterday. “There is no exception.” 

The firing severs a long, close professional relationship between Lewis and Carter, and sent shock waves across the Pentagon. Lewis served as Carter’s military aide earlier in his career, including when Carter was the deputy secretary of defense. And when Carter was tapped to become defense secretary earlier this year, he chose Lewis, then an Army one-star brigadier general, to move into the three-star aide job.

Lewis had been slated for promotion to major general with two-stars but was quickly confirmed by the Senate for another promotion on June 23, after he started in the new job.

In his statement, Carter said that the Army may take any appropriate action against Lewis once the investigation by the inspector general is finished.

Defense officials said they could not even broadly characterise the allegations or say whether they involve any criminal activities, because of privacy law. The defense official said Lewis was not arrested and no other investigating authorities are involved.