Carousing general could keep clearance

Officer reprimanded for boozing and sex club escapades

The Army recommended that Brig. Gen. Ron Lewis keep his security clearance despite issuing him a scathing reprimand that questioned flaws in his character, his abuse of alcohol and the “significant discredit” he brought to the service, according to Defense officials and documents obtained by USA TODAY.

Lewis endured a spectacular flame- out in November 2015 when he was fired from his job as the three- star officer and top military adviser to then- Defense secretary Ash Carter. Lewis had run up tabs at sex clubs on “Hooker Hill” in Seoul and Rome on his government credit card, drank excessively on a trip with Carter and had been overly friendly with young women, the Pentagon inspector general found.

“You are reprimanded for unprofessional conduct while serving in a position of great trust that impugns your personal and professional judgment,” Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel Allyn wrote in a letter to Lewis in December that was obtained by USA TODAY. “Specifically, you engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior that included patronizing establishments of questionable character, drinking to excess in public venues, and inappropriately interacting with female civilian and military personnel.”

After Carter canned him, the investigation dragged on for about a year. The Army demoted him to one star, docked his pension by about $ 10,000 and filed the stinging letter of reprimand in his personnel file.

Yet the Army recommended that Lewis be allowed to retain his clearance to view the nation’s sensitive military secrets, Army spokesman Michael Brady said, because the Defense Department allowed Lewis to keep his clearance while he was under investigation.

Keeping such a clearance is essential to employment for retired troops as many defense contractors consider it a prerequisite to hiring.

The Army’s recommendation came in spite of an Army policy enacted late last year that triggered the suspension of clearances for senior officers under investigation for serious misconduct. That policy stemmed from the case of then- major general David Haight, the “Swinging General,” whose serial philandering got him fired and demoted. He was allowed to retain his security clearance several months until USA TODAY reported on his alternative lifestyle and raised questions about his access to sensitive material.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D- Calif., a member of the Armed Services Committee, said she would demand an explanation from the Army for its decision on Lewis.

“The official reprimand by the Army Vice Chief states that Gen. Lewis’ conduct impugns his personal and professional judgment, bringing significant discredit to the Department. Secretary Carter agreed and fired him. If that isn’t disqualifying for a position of trust that requires a security clearance, I don’t know what is,” Speier said in a statement.

For now, the reprimand is the Army’s final word on Lewis, and it is one that dresses him down emphatically. In it, Allyn slams Lewis for binge drinking, saying he drank “enough to impact your memory and exercise of good judgment.” Allyn cites incidents in Korea, Italy and, the worst, in Hawaii in 2015. “During this visit, after consuming an unknown amount of alcohol, you made inappropriate advances toward a female non- commissioned officer,” Allyn wrote.

The inspector general’s conclusions “raise serious concerns about your fitness as a senior leader in the U. S. Army. ... Although no one has questioned your competence, the investigation exposed flaws in your character,” Allyn wrote.

“The official reprimand ... states that Gen. Lewis’ conduct impugns his personal and professional judgment.” Rep. Jackie Speier, D- Calif.

CAROLYN KASTER, AP Ron Lewis, left, was fired as one of Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s top advisers.