Republican senators are pressing for a Pentagon investigation into alleged misconduct by former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, specifically regarding actions that may have undermined the military’s chain of command.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Jim Banks have updated a letter to Defense Secretary Steven Stebbins, requesting a review of Milley’s conduct in 2022. Notably, Milley has yet to respond to Banks regarding questions about Grassley’s concerns over civil authority.
“We want to ensure that allegations about Milley’s misconduct are finally taken seriously,” they stated in their letter.
The senators are particularly interested in a review of events from August 17, 2022, which reportedly didn’t receive a satisfactory response from the previous inspector general.
Grassley and Banks mentioned that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has revived the review and instructed inspectors to examine Milley’s alleged misconduct closely.
Hegseth also wants to determine whether there’s enough evidence to consider stripping Milley of his rank upon retirement. The senators noted that Hegseth’s inquiry would likely take precedence over theirs.
The call for investigation was largely fueled by controversial statements Milley made in various books, including Bob Woodward’s “Danger,” where Milley reportedly made claims about attempting to insert himself into nuclear command chains without authority.
Additionally, the senators cited Milley’s promises to his Chinese counterparts before the potential of a U.S. strike on China, something that Milley reportedly confirmed in 2021. He suggested that his dialogues were meant to allay China’s increasing concerns about military escalation, as directed by then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
Yet, Milley insisted he wouldn’t compromise U.S. military objectives, stating, “I’m not going to defeat the enemy in what the U.S. is trying to do with actual plans.” He also noted suspicions regarding former President Trump’s mental state at the time.
Grassley and Banks pointed to a book indicating that Milley aimed to prevent his involvement in unjust military actions, seeking to assert influence without necessarily needing a secondary opinion.
The senators criticized the previous Defense Department inspector for not taking action on these serious allegations, suggesting it was an attempt to sidestep accountability.
They emphasized that top military officials need to demonstrate exemplary behavior and uphold the integrity expected of them. According to them, Milley’s record raises serious concerns about his commitment to those standards.
“The misconduct allegations surrounding Milley are too significant to ignore,” they concluded. “A thorough investigation is necessary, and if proven, appropriate accountability measures should be enforced.”
The senators expressed their hope for full cooperation from the inspectors in this ongoing inquiry. Milley has not commented publicly on these developments yet.
