Sexual assault allegations complicate confirmation of Trump’s nominee for military’s No. 2 officer

The confirmation of President Trump’s pick to become the U.S. military’s No. 2 officer could be delayed as senators question how the Pentagon handled sexual assault allegations against him, even though military authorities deemed them insufficient to bring charges.

Trump nominated Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in early April.

Shortly thereafter, an Army colonel who had been relieved of her duties while serving on his staff for allegedly creating a toxic work environment alleged that Hyten had made sexually abusive contact with her on more than a half dozen occasions, including in a California hotel room during the Reagan National Defense Forum in December 2017.

The allegations — which Hyten denies — prompted a probe by the Air Force criminal investigative service. Based on the results, the Air Force decided not to press forward with a court-martial or any other disciplinary actions against Hyten, who is in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
“After a comprehensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, there was insufficient evidence to support any finding of misconduct on the part of Gen. Hyten,” Pentagon spokeswoman Col. DeDe Halfhill said in a statement. “With more than 38 years of service to our nation, Gen. Hyten has proven himself to be a principled and dedicated patriot.”

Air Force officials briefed senators on Wednesday morning about the results of the investigation.

A senior U.S. military official said investigators spoke to 53 people in three countries and 13 states, reviewed thousands of emails, and ended up “out of rocks to turn over” after following all the leads provided. After interviewing people who previously served under Hyten, investigators didn’t find indications of such behavior with other subordinates, said the military official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the details of a legal matter.

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