Pentagon Personnel Official Resigns Amid Whistleblower Allegations of Incompetence

By BRYAN RAHIJA

This just in from The Hill's John Bennett: the Pentagon's embattled top personnel official, Department of Defense Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley, has resigned. 

"Embattled?" you might wonder. Bennett's got you covered: 

The Pentagon inspector general had been probing charges made by Pentagon employees that Stanley spent nearly $400,000 on an “incredibly extravagant” conference room and inserted an old friend into a senior post. 

The whistleblowers also alleged that Stanley forced more than 20 senior executives out of his office and conducted electronic eavesdropping on employees.  

Stanley “created a dysfunctional command marked by fear and mistrust through a capricious, tyrannical and arbitrary leadership,” according to a July 11 letter to the Pentagon inspector general. “Waste, fraud and abuse of power are rampant. Even if he were competent, his destructive leadership would assure [personnel and readiness office] mission failure.”  

The same complaint also included this blunt assessment: “He is incompetent.”

As Bennett goes on to note, POGO published three anonymous complaints against Stanley and detailed their contents in August. POGO Director of Investigations Nick Schwellenbach is aware of at least eight complaints—and possibly more—against Stanley by his own staff. These complaints allege everything from run-of-the-mill incompetence to extravagant use of taxpayer funds to gutting the office of needed expertise.

You might not think those complaints figured into Stanley's resignation, however, if you just read excerpts from his bon voyage missive and official Pentagon statements.

"This letter is not about me," Stanley wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. "It’s about the men and women we serve! I’m not ashamed to say that I love them all. It is with that thought that I am tendering my resignation."

Also witness the following statement by Doug Wilson, assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs: 

Dr. Stanley was motivated above all by a sense of commitment to the highest standards of service to the men and women in uniform he served. He felt he had done his utmost to carry out the mandate he was given, and that he had arrived at the point where the next steps could be carried out most effectively by a successor. His decision to resign was his own.”

At any rate, a Defense Department press release explained that Stanley will remain on the job for about two more weeks, and that JoAnn Rooney, the principal deputy undersecretary for personnel and readiness, will serve as acting undersecretary until a successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. 

Bryan Rahija edits POGO's blog.

Follow @bryanrahija

Image via MilitaryHealth.

Comments

[Lin]

There is no punishment for these types of crimes which is why they continue to happen even though it costs hundreds of thousands of lost taxpayer $$ and loss of good employees. For Christ's sake, define a crime, find a punishment that fits the crime, and enforce the punishment. After a few 'enforcements', the crimes will stop.

[Emile Zola]

I don't believe any thing that comes from any armed service, DOD, or government for that matter. There are many thousands of cases, some well-known, but the majority fall through the cracks and no one in government, including I.Gs care an iota about whistleblowers. They are up the creek w/o a paddle and just because some cases are published to try to make believe that our government is for the truth and stamping out fraud, waste and abuse, then think again.
People who complain, even with that other baloney about "open door policy" is non other that a tramp, or better yet, an entrapment so corruption, political nepotism and other government malfeasances can continue unimpeded.

Otherwise, why when people report wrongddoings, war crimes, they are the ones that are crucified. They put their careers on jeopardy and yet the rewards are a general or dishonorable discharge or worst, killed by friendly fire? or forced to move to save his/her life and those of the family as already has happened.
There is a saying that justice delayed is justice denied, well the same should apply to merits, medals, as with those two helicopter pilots that saw a massacre of civilians in Viet Nam, and they decided to risk their lives and yet such valor wasn't recognized but decades later, as if when they did that act of heroism was a more of a terrorist attack or as tea partiers always said: Pal around with terrorists, because they save those "commies' lives" and that is not allow in a country that proclaims democracy when it apllies to others, but no democracy when it applies to Occupy Wall Street movement. The more things change, the more they stay the same and the whistle blow program corroborates over and over that it might look like things are going to improve, but reality is another matter and the status quo is back in business. This is as American as apple pie.

[brad giordani]

The revolving door allowed for an easy transition to private life, even though he should have beed fired. This is a perfect example of no matter what you do in a high level position, there is no jail time thanks to the good old-boy network. Its these same rascals that cause billions to bleed from usg coffers while creating wealth for the good old boy network from the waste. SES's and like do not have to account to anyone, except the CiC. To bad gao will not tackle the hill/wh corruption that is all connected to the same troff.

[JJ]

WTF Obama, draw a hard line on bullies in your administration!

[David]

The paeans to honor and service in those letters ring hollow. The truly honorable thing to do would have been to unceremoniously can this clown once the first whistleblower report was corroborated. Failure to do so falls on Gates and Panetta.

[Work Place Humanity]

Watch out for Rooney. She creates toxic work environments and is certaintly underqualified for her position. That combo can be a case of "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."