Second Pentagon official steps down after being passed over for promotion
Top Pentagon official Kathryn Wheelbarger has submitted her resignation, just days after the White House announced someone else had been nominated to a high-level intelligence Pentagon position that she had been earmarked to fill, according to a US defense official and a former administration official familiar.
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Defense officials tell CNN that Wheelbarger was regarded by some in the administration as not being fully loyal to the White House, while the former administration official said she was seen by the White House as loyal to former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who resigned and recently denounced President Donald Trump as a threat to the Constitution.
House Democrats requested testimony from Wheelbarger during their impeachment inquiry into Trump last year but she was not subpoenaed and did not ultimately appear.
Another US defense official told CNN last year that investigators wanted to hear from her about the temporary pause of US military assistance to Ukraine, which was partially handled by the Pentagon.
The former official tells CNN that Wheelbarger's resignation is effective July 4.
Wheelbarger had been serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, according to her bio. She had been expected to become the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, but on June 12, President Donald Trump announced he would nominate Bradley Hansell for the position.
Hansell is currently an associate director at Boston Consulting Group. He is a recognized expert in strategy and serves as a leader in the North American Public Sector practice, according to the White House announcement.
Wheelbarger's resignation is the second this month by a top defense department official who had been sidelined for expected promotions.
Second resignation
On Tuesday, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Elaine McCusker submitted her resignation.
McCusker had raised concerns about the White House decision in 2019 to withhold almost $400 million in Congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine, an effort by President Donald Trump to get Kiev's help to investigate Joe Biden, his political rival, that eventually led to his impeachment trial.
In March, CNN reported that the White House was withdrawing McCusker's nomination to be the Pentagon's comptroller. She had been serving as the acting official in that role.
Reuters first reported Wheelbarger's resignation.
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