WASHINGTON — The Senate Commerce Committee voted along party lines Thursday to advance the promotion of a Coast Guard commander who was found to have retaliated against a subordinate for filing a whistleblower complaint.

Cmdr. Jesse Millard’s promotion divided the panel, with Democrats voicing concerns over a Department of Homeland Security internal watchdog report that confirmed Millard had bullied a former professor at the Coast Guard Academy and violated whistleblower protection laws by giving her unusually low evaluation marks.

Committee members voted 15-13 to promote Millard to captain. The promotion next heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said promoting Millard would be a step in the wrong direction after the reforms enacted in the wake of Operation Fouled Anchor, a series of investigations into the mishandling of sexual assault allegations at the academy that the Coast Guard had kept secret, including from Congress.

“If we intend to ensure there is accountability, then this committee cannot allow the promotion of officers into the Coast Guard senior ranks who have substantiated claims of retaliation in their records,” she said.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the panel, noted that the whistleblower case against Millard was one of only 11 that the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General had found valid out of more than 3,100 complaints filed in recent years.

Former Coast Guard Cmdr....

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