Pentagon watchdog will review Defense Secretary Austin’s failure to disclose his hospitalization

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s internal watchdog said Thursday he will review the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization and why the Defense Department waited days to inform the White House that he had transferred authority to his deputy.

Austin, 70, is still in the hospital being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery. His failure to disclose his hospitalization has been sharply criticized by members of both political parties and has led to some calls for his resignation, while the idea that the civilian head of the U.S. military could step away from responsibility unnoticed continues to generate questions.

At the White House on Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there were limits to how closely the government could track the whereabouts of officials, even those like Austin who are in the line of succession. He said the White House Situation Room inquires about the location of Cabinet secretaries and whether they are in the capital region.

“We check in every day and we know where they are,” he said. “We’re not going to plant a microchip in their necks like a poodle.”

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«Other news» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Other news </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Amid firestorm created by Austin’s cancer secrecy, missed opportunities to build trust and educate </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Secrecy surrounding the defense secretary’s hospitalization has put the White House on the defensive </bsp-custom-headline>