[ad_1]
Patel, former Republican aide Devin Nunes, is currently the chief of staff to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and, while it is not unusual for someone in this position to take a leading role in the transition effort, the two defense officials told CNN that Patel would likely be under scrutiny by many in the Pentagon who are watching to see how well he could cooperate with Biden’s team.
This review stems from the fact that Patel was elevated to his current role in the recent purge of senior Pentagon officials, which included President Donald Trump’s dismissal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and his reputation as a staunch Trump loyalist who will continue to do so. whatever he can to advance the president’s political agenda during the time that remains in office.
The House impeachment inquiry uncovered evidence linking Patel, then working as Nunes’ aide, to the diplomatic channel run by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and efforts to spread conspiracy theories on Joe Biden and to force Ukraine to announce an investigation into the former vice president.
He also worked to discredit Special Advisor Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Patel, who most recently served as senior counterterrorism director at the White House National Security Council, was elevated to Miller’s chief of staff following Esper’s ouster earlier this month and maintains a “very close” working relationship with the newly installed acting secretary of defense, an administration official told CNN.
But the move was part of a wave of personnel changes at the Pentagon that fueled concerns that Trump would oust government officials and bury loyalists in agencies in ways that could make them difficult for Biden to suppress the year. next.
Since joining the Pentagon, Patel has overseen controversial decisions to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Knowledgeable sources told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this month that the White House-led purge of the Department of Defense may have been prompted by Esper and his team pushing back an early withdrawal of Afghanistan, which would be carried out before the required date. the conditions on the ground were there.
And now that the government services administration has officially recognized Biden’s electoral victory, allowing the transition process to officially begin, one wonders whether officials like Patel will cooperate fully with the new administration.
For now, the Defense Ministry said it has been contacted by the Biden-Harris team and “immediately start implementing our support plan.”
“The DoD stands ready to provide post-election services and support in a professional, orderly and efficient manner that is in line with the public’s expectations of the Department and our commitment to national security,” said the DoD. Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough in a statement.
Thomas Muir, the director of services at Washington headquarters, is providing the DoD’s major support for the transition while Patel leads the overall effort, another defense official said.
Muir is expected to facilitate office space, communications and access to information.
A senior defense official said that before Patel oversaw the transition process, his predecessor, Esper’s chief of staff, Jen Stewart, was in charge of the effort.
[ad_2]
Source link