Pentagon issues clarification on why US Defence Secretary hid cancer from Joe Biden

The Pentagon stated on Monday that although privacy issues played a role in the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s cancer treatment, there was no proof of deliberate misconduct or deception.

Remarkably, Austin withheld the news of his prostate cancer diagnosis from Congress and US President Joe Biden for weeks, only disclosing it to them days after he was admitted to the hospital on January 1 due to treatment-related problems.

The Pentagon released an unclassified report of an investigation that Austin’s chief of staff had ordered into the events leading up to his hospitalization last month.

“Nothing examined during this review demonstrated any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate,” the Pentagon stated.

Yet, “medical privacy laws prohibited medical providers from candid sharing of medical information with the secretary’s staff,” and they were additionally “hesitant to pry or share any information that they did learn,” according to the investigation.

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A full information exchange regarding the situation may have been hindered, according to the summary, by the “absence of an established methodology for making… an unplanned decision” to transfer authority from the secretary to his deputy.

On December 22, Austin, a 70-year-old career soldier, had minor surgery to treat the cancer. He went home the next day.

However, on January 1, difficulties including nausea and excruciating pain forced him to be readmitted.

Congress was not notified of Austin’s hospitalization until the next day, and Biden was not made aware of the cancer diagnosis until January 9. The White House was not notified of Austin’s hospitalization until January 4.

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Biden has defended Austin despite calls from some Republican members for him to be fired. Austin apologized earlier this month for the secrecy surrounding his treatment.

On February 11, the defense secretary was admitted to the hospital once more to receive treatment for bladder problems under general anesthesia.

Two hours after the incident, the Pentagon claimed that military, White House, and legislative authorities had all been contacted. The public was then informed. Two days later, Austin was discharged from the hospital.