Duckworth blocks military promotions to protect one impeachment witness
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth has put a blanket hold on 1,100 military promotions until Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper assures her in writing that impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alex Vindman will not be punished for his testimony.
Vindman, who had been staffed to the National Security Council as an expert on Ukraine, earned the ire of President Donald Trump when he testified during the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment hearings earlier this year. Vindman was fired from his NSC job, and there have been reports that Trump is pressuring the Pentagon to block his promotion to colonel.
Duckworth, D-Ill., told reporters that her hold, which applies to 1,123 scheduled promotions to the rank of “06” (colonel or Navy captain) or above, could actually make things easier for the Defense Department.
“I think my blanket hold allows them to have some top cover to say to the White House, ‘She has this hold on there, so we have to keep (Vindman) on the list,’” she said.
The hold does not apply to the nomination of Gen. Gustave Perna to be the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s effort to produce a coronavirus vaccine by year’s end.
Duckworth said it is unprecedented for a commander in chief to take interest in a single promotion at the 06 level and that Vindman earned the promotion if his name was on the list.
The Army declined to comment for this story, citing a policy of not discussing promotions until they are finalized.