Pentagon inspector general announces review of Austin hospitalization, notification
The Defense Department inspector general's office has launched a formal investigation into Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's failure to notify the White House and Congress of his emergency hospitalization. The inspector general's office will "assess whether the DoD's policies and procedures are sufficient" to ensure proper communication when senior leadership is unavailable for medical or other reasons. The inspector general's office is independent from the Pentagon. It requested that Austin "designate a staff member to serve as our point of contact" by Jan. 16. For at least three days, Austin did not tell President Joe Biden and Congress that he had been admitted to the intensive care unit for complications following prostate cancer surgery. During that time, A
