Apr 25, 2019

Pentagon watchdog clears Pat Shanahan on Boeing bias

Orion Rummler

In this image, Pat Shanahan speaks in front of a microphone and podium. The windows behind him look out onto an airport. — Pat Shanahan speaks at the grand opening of the Boeing 737 Delivery Center in 2015. Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

The Pentagon's inspector general announced Thursday that it found no evidence that acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan had favored Boeing, his former employer, during his time in government service, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Why it matters: The decision clears up a potential hurdle for President Trump in nominating Shanahan to permanently head the Department of Defense, though the WSJ reports that it "remains unclear what [the president] will do."

Background: The independent watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed an ethics complaint in March alleging that Shanahan unfairly promoted Boeing and disparaged competitors like Lockheed Martin while working in government.

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Pentagon watchdog clears Pat Shanahan on Boeing bias

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