{"id":23948,"date":"2019-03-05T19:12:14","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T19:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/05\/say-it-aint-so-cno-more-unlawful-command-influence-claims-dog-fitz-cases\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:11:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:11:56","slug":"say-it-aint-so-cno-more-unlawful-command-influence-claims-dog-fitz-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/05\/say-it-aint-so-cno-more-unlawful-command-influence-claims-dog-fitz-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Say it ain\u2019t so, CNO! Do more unlawful command influence woes dog Fitz cases?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/warontherocks.com\/2019\/02\/the-fitzgerald-collision-in-search-of-the-onus\/\" target=\"_blank\">opinion piece<\/a> blaming the warship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/14\/worse-than-you-thought-inside-the-secret-fitzgerald-probe-the-navy-doesnt-want-you-to-read\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fitzgerald\u2019s 2017 collision<\/a> on the crew and commanding officer that was shared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/01\/mystery-navy-tweeter-unmasked-in-court-filings-alleging-unlawful-command-influence\/\" target=\"_blank\">Big Navy\u2019s social media accounts<\/a> last month also went out in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/02\/16\/cno-defends-hiding-scathing-internal-report-on-fitzgerald-collision-from-public\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson\u2019s<\/a> official newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commentary by retired Navy officer <a href=\"https:\/\/warontherocks.com\/author\/bryan-mcgrath\/\" target=_blank>Bryan McGrath<\/a> was published on the War on the Rocks website on Feb. 8 and redistributed on official military channels. That became a hot issue in court, where two Fitz officers are on trial for their alleged roles in contributing to the accident that killed seven sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attorneys for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/23\/how-the-court-martial-against-the-fitzs-former-co-was-thrown-into-disarray-this-week\/?utm_source=clavis&amp;fbclid=IwAR2hqNC5EeJGoKhx6E5f1_JOcmNAqRz_kTGGmFGEsxTqyl5_zWOvrX4hmdU\" target=\"_blank\">Cmdr. Bryce Benson<\/a>, the skipper of the guided-missile destroyer when it collided with the commercial cargo vessel ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/home\/left-column\/2018\/07\/23\/is-this-navy-officer-being-held-accountable-for-negligence-or-railroaded\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lt. Natalie Combs<\/a> \u2014 the highest-ranking officer in warship\u2019s Combat Information Center \u2014 took aim at how the Navy brass used the sea service\u2019s official Facebook and Twitter accounts to paint unflattering portraits of their clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They contend that those official Navy messages are part of a larger problem of unlawful command influence, with the senior leaders of the sea service tainting the court-martial cases against Benson and Combs, who should be presumed innocent under the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The news roundup from the Navy\u2019s top officer \u2014 known as \u201cCNOtes\u201d \u2014 also shared the opinion piece on Feb. 8, according to a copy obtained by Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McGrath\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/warontherocks.com\/2019\/02\/the-fitzgerald-collision-in-search-of-the-onus\/\" target=_blank>\u201cThe Fitzgerald Collision: In Search of the Onus\u201d<\/a> is the only item on that day\u2019s CNOtes that fails to directly link to Richardson\u2019s recent speeches, positions or activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLeaders, CNOtes is a product designed to provide a roll-up of key CNO communication events and messages to increase awareness and promote alignment on relevant Navy topics,\u201d a blurb at the top of Richardson\u2019s roundup reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/01\/mystery-navy-tweeter-unmasked-in-court-filings-alleging-unlawful-command-influence\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hicks2.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Mystery Navy tweeter unmasked in court filings alleging unlawful command influence<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Prosecutors say that any damage to their court-martial case against a lieutenant can be mitigated later by a military judge.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the person responsible for drafting CNOtes, Richardson\u2019s spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Pau, said her boss played no part in putting McGrath\u2019s piece into the newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCNO does not review the product before it\u2019s released,\u201d she said in an email to Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The collection often includes &#8220;a few news articles meant to stimulate conversation\u201d that\u2019s sent \u201cto anyone who signs up for information about the CNO through <a href=\"http:\/\/navy.mil\/\" target=_blank>Navy.mil<\/a>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 20,000 accounts are subscribed to the newsletter, Pau said. They include retired officers, active-duty members and the media, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnyone can sign up,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also push to most PAOs to help answer the question, \u2018What is CNO saying?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The McGrath piece was also included in the \u201cnotable commentary\u201d section of a Pentagon news roundup on Feb. 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"526\" height=\"209\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cnotes.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-49471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cnotes.png.png 526w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cnotes.png.png?resize=300,119 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson&#8217;s public affairs team puts out a weekly newsletter called &#8220;CNOtes.&#8221; (Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three military attorneys told Navy Times that including the opinion piece in a CNO-branded product could give more ammunition to lawyers arguing that superiors committed unlawful command influence against the defendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dubbed the \u201cmortal enemy of military justice\u201d by higher courts, unlawful command influence, or UCI, occurs when superiors utter words or take actions that wrongfully influence the outcome of court-martial cases, jeopardize the appeals process or undermine the public\u2019s confidence in the armed forces by appearing to tip the scales of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Improper comments by military leaders might make it difficult for the accused to get a fair trial because potential panel members could be influenced if they know how their superiors feel about a case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy\u2019s Twitter and Facebook posts of the opinion piece were cited last month in a motion by Combs\u2019 attorneys to get her case dismissed due to what they contend are repeated UCI efforts by service leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy Times reported last week that the Navy\u2019s head spokesman, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/01\/mystery-navy-tweeter-unmasked-in-court-filings-alleging-unlawful-command-influence\/\" target=\"_blank\">Capt. Gregory Hicks<\/a>, had directed the piece to be shared on Big Navy\u2019s accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI see this as further fodder for an unlawful command influence motion,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mclainmilitarylawyer.com\/patrick-mclain\" target=_blank>Patrick McLain<\/a>, a retired Marine Corps judge now in private practice, said of the McGrath piece\u2019s inclusion in CNOtes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt boggles the mind that the CNO\u2019s staff could be so tone deaf, when they must know that UCI is an issue in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After reviewing a copy of the Feb. 8 CNOtes, McLain pointed out that the opinion piece was the only one of 14 items \u201cthat does not involve the CNO speaking or doing something, and the only item about legal\/military justice matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy would this be in CNOtes, other than to give the CNO\u2019s view on culpability in the USS Fitzgerald collision case?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other items in that edition of CNOtes \u201care clearly advocacy for the CNO\u2019s position,\u201d McLain said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThus, it would seem natural to conclude that the inclusion of Bryan McGrath\u2019s article is tacitly a statement of CNO\u2019s position,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is certainly consistent with the theme of CNOtes, which either boasts of the CNO\u2019s actions or gives the CNO\u2019s position on matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/11\/16\/defense-team-navy-brass-made-it-impossible-for-former-fitzgerald-skipper-to-get-fair-trial\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/co_cdr-benson.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Defense team: Navy brass made it impossible for former Fitzgerald skipper to get fair trial<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The skipper&#039;s defense attorneys take aim at both Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran for statements that blamed the commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer for the deaths of seven sailors.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Including the piece in a CNO product means it\u2019s not just the author\u2019s opinion anymore, added retired Navy Capt. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fordham.edu\/info\/23642\/a_-_b\/7412\/lawrence_b_brennan\/1\" target=_blank>Lawrence Brennan<\/a>, an attorney who now teaches at<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fordham.edu\/info\/20346\/school_of_law\" target=_blank> Fordham University\u2019s School of Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s the imprimatur of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cIt\u2019s in the CNO\u2019s paper. Who\u2019s the target for that? Some of them might be members of the court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As allegations of UCI mount, the controversy threatens to derail Navy efforts to punish potential wrongdoing, he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy are we talking about the legal aspects as opposed to the substantive ship handling aspects?\u201d Brennan said. \u201cThe record is so heavy with comments with the CNO blaming the captain and others on board \u2026 maybe rightfully so, but not within the context of military justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The judge in Benson\u2019s case ruled in December that a stream of public statements by Navy leaders presented the appearance of UCI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe repeated statements from (Richardson) and (Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran) about the accused\u2019s specific case would cause an objective, disinterested observer, fully informed of all of the facts and circumstances, to harbor a significant doubt about the fairness of the proceeding,\u201d judge Capt. Jonathan Stephens wrote in his December ruling.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/23\/how-the-court-martial-against-the-fitzs-former-co-was-thrown-into-disarray-this-week\/?utm_source=clavis&#038;fbclid=IwAR2hqNC5EeJGoKhx6E5f1_JOcmNAqRz_kTGGmFGEsxTqyl5_zWOvrX4hmdU\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\">How the court-martial against the Fitz\u2019s former CO was thrown into disarray this week<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And to Brennan, that makes the latest CNOtes headache that much more inexplicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith all the problems that are here, you would expect that the CNO and the CNO\u2019s drafter of CNOtes would use their judgment and say, hey, maybe this isn\u2019t the right thing to say at this time,\u201d Brennan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zacharyspilman.com\/\" target=_blank>Zachary Spilman<\/a>, a former Marine Corps attorney now in private practice, said that Benson and Combs\u2019 defense teams could add this edition of CNOtes to their UCI arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt seems to be that if the Navy wants to hold certain people criminally responsible for the Fitzgerald collision, then it needs to allow the criminal justice process to work to a conclusion and not treat the situation as a public relations issue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Attorneys tell Navy Times that a widely-shared op-ed assigning blame in the 2017 collision could become legal ammo for defense lawyers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":49200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,22,23,88,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3355],"class_list":["post-23948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"M3JAWN2P35DFDPVYX2YP2VCLYU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/05\/say-it-aint-so-cno-more-unlawful-command-influence-claims-dog-fitz-cases\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Say it ain\u2019t so, CNO! 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