The Navy finds itself in a truly bizarre situation as the man in charge of intelligence for the branch has had his access to classified info revoked since 2013.
[revad1]
Vice Admiral Ted Branch, a three star admiral and one of his deputies Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless were caught up in a $20 million scandal that rocked the Navy in 2013 and lead to the arrest of numerous Naval officers.
However, Branch and Loveless haven’t been charged nor has the Navy said how they are linked.
The scandal centers around Leonard Glenn Francis, CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), who was bribing senior naval officers with prostitutes, grand dinners, luxury hotel stays and cash in return for sending U.S. Navy ships to be restocked at his ports.
Due to this alleged link, briefing rooms must be combed for classified data and removed before Branch can enter, he also can’t be given info on secret missions and security issues.
Now the Navy is frozen with him in place and need a fix.
________________
From the Washington Post:
For more than two years, the Navy’s intelligence chief has been stuck with a major handicap: He’s not allowed to know any secrets.
Vice Adm. Ted “Twig” Branch has been barred from reading, seeing or hearing classified information since November 2013, when the Navy learned from the Justice Department that his name had surfaced in a giant corruption investigation involving a foreign defense contractor and scores of Navy personnel.
Worried that Branch was on the verge of being indicted, Navy leaders suspended his access to classified materials. They did the same to one of his deputies, Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless, the Navy’s director of intelligence operations.
Read more at the Washington Post
Should Branch be removed from office or should a trial be sped up? Sound off in the comments below!
