The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) asked the Air Force Monday to conduct a probe into potential illegal race discrimination activities by Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden as the next chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff.
Brown, who has been nominated by Biden to serve in the top U.S. military position after Army Gen. Mark Milley finishes his term in October, is accused of making “discriminatory comments and potential unlawful impact on military personnel,” according to the AAF. As a result, the AAF filed a complaint with the Air Force Inspector General and requested an official investigation into Brown’s alleged discrimination.
According to The Daily Caller, multiple sources have reported that Brown made statements during his time as the chief of staff for the Air Force and his previous service as Pacific Air Forces commander that suggested he hired individuals and considered promotions based on race rather than on merit in order to intentionally create diversity in the Air Force.
During a 2020 interview with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Brown claimed, “I purposely build my office, my front office, and my team with [diversity], and I hire for diversity because they all bring a different perspective. All of us have to seek out those diverse candidates to bring them in, and that’s what we’re trying to do in the Air Force.”
The AAF believes Brown could be in violation of the equal protection clause in the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits discrimination based on race. If Brown is in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, the AAF argues that he would be ineligible to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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“Race-based hiring has no place in the military,” the organization stated. “Our men and women in uniform deserve to be led on missions by the most qualified and skilled officers and leaders our nation has, who will give them the best chance of success and getting home safely,” the organization said in a statement.
The AAF argues that if Brown acted upon his previous statements regarding the hiring and promoting of individuals based on race, then the military official would have violated the Air Force code of conduct.
In its complaint filed with the U.S. Air Force, AAF stated, “If implemented, the statements and views of General Brown on what should be official hiring policy of the U.S. Air Force present a significant likelihood of violating the civil and constitutional rights of military personnel, in addition to violating existing code of conduct for Air Force personnel.”
According to The Daily Caller, Brown’s upcoming confirmation process in the Senate is likely to be met with opposition from Republican senators, such as Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who has pledged to block Pentagon promotions until the Department of Defense revokes an abortion rule that was implemented after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade.
