Face of Nation : WASHINGTON — As he underwent confirmation for the Pentagon’s second highest position in 2017, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told lawmakers that he was “aware of no incidents reflecting adversely” on his ability to do his job and had “never been party to any civil litigation.”
But at the time, he had only recently emerged from a contentious, years-long divorce, which is a civil court matter. His ex-wife had accused him in divorce filings and police records of punching her during a violent 2010 domestic battle.
Shanahan has denied striking her and accused her of being the aggressor, saying she punched him.
Shanahan said Thursday in a statement to USA TODAY that he “complied fully” with an FBI background check prior to his confirmation as deputy secretary. As part of the process, he submitted a June 2017 letter to Sen. John McCain, then chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that addressed a variety of issues, including the questions about civil litigation and any adverse history.
“In June 2017, I did not believe that these incidents would adversely impact my ability to serve in the position of deputy secretary of Defense and I do not believe that to be the case today,” Shanahan said in the statement to USA TODAY. He will step down as acting secretary on Sunday after coming under scrutiny for the violent encounter and will be replaced by Army Secretary Mark Esper.
Shanahan’s sudden resignation as acting secretary renewed questions about the Trump administration’s process of vetting nominees for sensitive posts. President Trump said Tuesday that he had been unaware of the issues in Shanahan’s background until the previous day but defended the handling of his nomination.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and an Armed Services Committee member, said questions about the 2017 letter from Shanahan to the committee “ought to be considered seriously as part of an evaluation of the overall vetting process, which failed so clearly in Shanahan’s case and many other nominees reviewed by the White House.
