Top military aide under investigation after ouster
Sources: Improper relationship with adult colleague.
The top military aide to Defense Secretary Ash Carter was fired because of an improper relationship with an adult colleague, a person familiar with the case said Friday.
Carter fired Army Lt. Gen. Ron Lewis on Thursday, citing allegations of misconduct, and referred the matter to the department’s inspector general.
Defense officials would not provide details about why Lewis was removed from his job.
A senior defense official said Carter learned of the allegations Tuesday night and later informed the inspector general. Carter was surprised by the allegations and met with Lewis on Thursday morning, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another person familiar with the case said the misconduct involved an improper relationship with an adult colleague. The person lacked authorization to discuss the case openly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“I expect the highest possible standards of conduct from the men and women in this department, particularly from those serving in the most senior positions,” Carter said in a statement released Thursday. “There is no exception.”
The firing severed a long, close professional relationship between Lewis and Carter, and sent shock waves across the Pentagon. Lewis served as Carter’s military aide earlier in his career, including when Carter was the deputy secretary of defense. And when Carter was tapped to become defense secretary earlier this year, he chose Lewis, then an Army onestar brigadier general, to move into the three-star aide job. Lewis had been slated for promotion to major general — with two-stars — but was quickly confirmed by the Senate for another promotion after he started the new job. Efforts to reach Lewis for comment were unsuccessful.