Review ordered of justice system

SAN DIEGO — The Navy has dismissed charges against an officer accused of covering up war crimes by a SEAL later acquitted of murder, and ordered a review of the service’s justice system.

The action Thursday by the chief of naval operations in the case of Lt. Jacob Portier is the latest blow to military prosecutors and comes a month after a jury cleared Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of murder and attempted murder charges.

Portier, the leader of Gallagher’s platoon, faced charges of dereliction of duty, destruction of evidence and conduct unbecoming an officer for holding Gallagher’s reenlistment ceremony next to the corpse of a teenage Islamic State militant the decorated SEAL was accused of stabbing to death.

Adm. John Richardson dismissed the case because it was “in the best interest of justice and the Navy,” according to a statement.

Gallagher was convicted of a single charge of posing for photos with the militant’s corpse.

Richardson intervened a day after President Trump ordered the secretary of the Navy on Wednesday to strip prosecutors of medals they were awarded for their handling of the case despite the fact Gallagher was acquitted on the most serious charges.

“We’re entitled to more of an explanation as to why the case against Lt. Portier is being ditched,” said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School. “Are they saying the entire investigation, the entire set of facts have been corrupted beyond repair? That doesn’t follow.”