Is Lt. Gen. Kurt Cichowski an Aviator? Sounds like these guys screwed up, but power, or lack there of, could have contributed.
It is one thing for a mishap board to present its report to the convening authority and have a finding rejected in the convening authority's endorsement. Happens all the time, not a big deal.
It is another thing entirely to have a convening authority taint a mishap board by telling it that it cannot consider a causal factor. That would undermines the integrity of the mishap investigation process and would be extremely damaging to the entire Air Force safety program.
The question is which one happened in this case.