Advocates warn that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning a crackdown on whistleblowers and victims of misconduct, pushing policies they say will end critical protections, silence dissent and embolden abusers.
Hegseth ordered a group of admirals and generals to fly to Quantico from their international duty stations on Tuesday where he spoke of promises to upend channels for troops to anonymously report misconduct in their commands.
He called out the inspector general — one of the military’s primary oversight and investigative bodies — which he said has been “weaponized” by “complainers, ideologues and poor performers.”
He also took aim at the military’s equal opportunity policies, which were put in place to address discrimination and harassment in the ranks.
“No more frivolous complaints. No more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more smearing reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more sidetracking careers. No more walking on eggshells,” Hegseth said.
Leaders of the Walk the Talk Foundation, which advocates for military whistleblower protections in the military, said Hegseth’s rhetoric was misleading and dangerous.
“His claims are not only unsupported by fact but amount to little more than fear-mongering designed to discredit legitimate complaints and silence those who seek accountability,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ryan Sweazey and LTC (Ret.) Francesca Graham in a joint statement.
The foundation also criticized a newly announced...
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