{"id":39385,"date":"2019-04-25T13:39:37","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T13:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/04\/25\/shanahan-cleared-in-pentagon-investigation-report\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:14:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:14:41","slug":"shanahan-cleared-in-pentagon-investigation-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/04\/25\/shanahan-cleared-in-pentagon-investigation-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Shanahan cleared in Pentagon investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has been cleared by the Pentagon\u2019s Inspector General\u2019s office<\/a>, in a move that likely paves the way for nomination to the full secretary job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 47-page report released Thursday, the IG wrote that no evidence was found that Shanahan used his position in the department to provide preferential treatment to the Boeing Co., where he worked for over three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors,\u201d investigators concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from Shanahan himself, the IG interviewed top leadership from across the department. That including Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Gen. Joe Dunford and Gen. Paul Selva, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Unnamed military services chiefs, DoD undersecretaries and \u201cother senior officials who regularly dealt with acquisition and budget issues; and other senior DoD civilian and military leaders” were interviewed as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigators also looked at more than 5,600 pages of unclassified documents and approximately 1,700 pages of classified documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

News of Shanahan\u2019s clearance was first reported Thursday morning by the Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been widely expected for months<\/a> that Shanahan, who came in as the deputy secretary of defense in summer of 2017, will be the official successor to Mattis as the full secretary of defense. He appears to have a positive relationship with President Donald Trump, and few other names have arisen as a possibility since Mattis left at the end of last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the IG investigation<\/a> reportedly caused the White House to press pause on any moves to nominate the former Boeing executive for the defense department\u2019s top spot. In response, Shanahan launched something of a press tour, doing a one-on-one interview on Fox News, increasing his visibility with reporters and talking openly about why he feels he can do the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI show up every day, put my shoulder to the wheel because I believe in what we\u2019re doing,\u201d he told Defense News during a recent trip to Florida. \u201cI want to make a contribution to national defense. And I believe I can deliver on the National Defense Strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, the IG says that the investigation was launched in part because of request from the office of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a Senate Armed Services Committee member who is also running for the Democratic nomination for president. Should Shanahan receive the nomination, Warren may be a vocal opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSecretary Shanahan has at all times complied with his Ethics Agreement, which screens Boeing matters to another DoD official and ensures no potential for a conflict of interest with Boeing on any matter.,” said Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, Shanahan\u2019s spokesman. \u201cThe report speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detailed findings<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IG launched its investigation based on accusations of five ways Shanahan may have violated his ethics agreement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n