Posted on 11/30/2019 8:13:18 AM PST by jazusamo
Fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer’s outburst at President Trump in a Washington Post op-ed published Wednesday, calling the president’s handling of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s case a “shocking and unprecedented intervention in a low-level review” is in and of itself shocking and unprecedented in several ways.
Spencer wrote: “The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.”
In reality, Spencer is the man who bypassed the chain of command by cutting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper out of his scheming and working a backroom deal. Now, after being exposed, Spencer submissively avails himself to an eager mainstream media ready to consume his invective aimed at the president, creating the very chaos he blames on the president.
Spencer aligned himself with the prosecution, adding more weight to the suffocating pressure of a resource-rich bureaucracy bearing down on the defense attorney and his client, Gallagher. Commanders and secretaries with decision-making and appellate authority are meant to be neutral by design, open to evidence, mitigation, and extenuation from both sides of the case.
Those, like Spencer, who lack the requisite experience of leading large numbers of servicemen and women often fall prey to their own emotion-driven predilections. Spencer wanted the Navy to be right, so he followed prosecution guidance in a case that was marred by prosecutorial overreach.
For example:
Navy prosecutor Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak secretly embedded a tracking virus in an image of the scales of justice and the American flag on emails he exchanged with Gallagher’s defense attorneys, affording him an illegal window into the defense strategy.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The ROE took a big hit during the 0bama years against our military but that’s to say it hasn’t happened in other administrations.
Bump!
“that’s NOT to say”
That's true, the only one I had any personal experience was under LBJ admin. in the 60's and ROE sucked at times.
Yep, LBJ and his buddy McNamara cost American lives.
I wasn’t in Nam but remember those two well.
“Navy prosecutor Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak secretly embedded a tracking virus in an image of the scales of justice and the American flag on emails he exchanged with Gallagher’s defense attorneys,”
I’m pretty sure that’s not only a Felony but grounds for disbarment.
L
I hope the guy was busted to boot marine and sent to basic training to straighten his a$$ out.
He was booted from the case by the judge but if I remember correctly there were no charges brought against him.
There sure should have been in my view.
ltr
Trump is smart to keep the military (soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen (or coast gauardspersons /s) on retainer!
bump
The Navy Sec. forgot who the C. in C. is...just as most in our State Department have...those Bureaucrats think they set foreign policy...the N.Sec. also was misinformed.....
Is his call sign “Bodacious”?
Czaplak was not the “spook” responsible for infecting his adversaries computers and tracking them. It went much higher, and was an operation being run by NCIS under the guise of finding a leaker. However, Czaplak is a LAWYER, and had to understand that such conduct was illegal, would compromise the case and bring discredit upon the Navy. Also, there is ZERO CHANCE that he cooperated with NCIS in this conduct without consulting his superiors, all the way up to his Commanding Officer. ZERO.CHANCE.
And that the NCIS would undertake such an illegal operation just to find a “leaker” is laughable. This operation was not about a leaker, and went higher than the San Diego NCIS office. Maybe even as high as SECNAV? Probably not, but clearly, they wanted to make absolutely sure they got a conviction, and likely would have if they had not been caught.
The Navy announced an investigation into the spying and the overall conduct of the JAG Corps back at the beginning of August, but it appears that everything has been “swept under the rug”. Business as usual.
From what I read about it during the CM you’re correct, the NCIS did the deed but like you said it had to have gone higher.
Czaplak was the lead prosecutor and it was his responsibility whether he didn’t know or knew about it and did or did not agree with it.
I’m only guessing but I think that’s why the judge only booted him off the case with no further action against him.
IMO the judge should have dismissed all charges when this became known but I’m no lawyer.
‘Spencer wrote: “The president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.”’
He just forgot who the ‘Commander in Chief” is.
As the War continued, our ROE’s in Viet Nam became more and more restrictive.
Spencer is toast.
To think that he is virtually alone in not understanding the “Chain of Command” gives me hope in our Military.
All of us, who raised our hands and took the oath, were aware of the importance of the “chain” and who was the ultimate “boss.”
Spencer has “shit in his own mess kit,” over the Gallagher case. He deserves to be disgraced.
Excellent review of Spencer’s actions by Gen Tata. Thanks for posting
Agreed, my FRiend. Hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving!
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