No one will be reprimanded for keeping Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospital stays a secret -- including the secretary himself or his chief of staff -- after an internal Pentagon review of the matter concluded there was no indication of "ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate" the situation. The defense secretary underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure for prostate cancer Dec. 22, which led to a urinary tract infection and serious intestinal complications. He was hospitalized again on Jan. 1, but the White House didn't learn about either event until Jan. 4. Austin told reporters earlier this month that his cancer diagnosis was a "gut punch" and that his first instinct was to keep it private. Pentagon finds no one to blame for keeping Secretary Austin's hospital stays secret originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Source: ABC News February 26, 2024 21:43 UTC