The decision to transfer Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s authorities to his second-in-command in January was made by military aides and not the secretary himself, Mr. Austin testified at a congressional hearing on Thursday.
Mr. Austin’s authorities were transferred to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks as he was transferred into critical care for a cancer-related operation.
The Secretary clarified during the Feb. 29 hearing of the House Armed Services Committee that he was not the one who made that decision, because he did not have access to secure communications in the critical care unit.
“The military aides made the decision to initiate the process,” Mr. Austin said….
