The senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has been fired for misconduct and is under investigation by the Pentagon’s inspector general, the department said.
CNN reported Thursday evening that Lt. Gen. Ron Lewis was dismissed after Mr. Carter learned “about allegations of misconduct.”
A Pentagon statement announcing the firing had no specific details about the purported misconduct but said Mr. Carter had referred it to the Defense Department’s IG.
The Associated Press, citing a senior defense official, said Mr. Carter was taken by surprise when he learned about the charges of wrongdoing Tuesday night. He called Gen. Lewis, with whom he has had a long professional relationship, in for a meeting Thursday morning.
“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,” Mr. Carter said in the statement. “There is no exception.”
In the Pentagon statement, Mr. Carter also says the Army may take further action against the general when the IG has completed its probe.
While the senior defense official who spoke to AP could not even broadly characterize the alleged misconduct, the source did say Lt. Gen. Lewis has not been arrested and no law-enforcement agencies are involved, only the Pentagon IG.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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