Inspector General to Investigate Handling of Austin’s Hospitalization

The Pentagon’s inspector general said on Thursday that he would investigate the handling of Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III’s recent hospitalization, which Mr. Austin and his top aides failed to disclose to President Biden and Congress for days after he developed serious complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The inspector general, Robert P. Storch, wrote in a memo to Mr. Austin and the deputy defense secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, that his office would begin this month to examine “the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities and actions” related to the hospitalization.

The office would also scrutinize whether the Defense Department’s “policies and procedures are sufficient to ensure timely and appropriate notifications and the effective transition of authorities as may be warranted due to health-based or other unavailability of senior leadership,” Mr. Storch said.

The independent review will be conducted in addition to a 30-day assessment by Mr. Austin’s office. The White House has also ordered a review after its top officials were not notified until three days after the defense secretary was admitted with the complications. Lawmakers have also said they will investigate the matter.