In January 2019, the Navy found itself in a tough spot.
Former Navy SEAL and Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens wanted to be reinstated to military service. He hadn’t applied yet, but the Navy had received word the request was coming.
The problem was neither the SEALs nor the Navy wanted him back, documents newly obtained by The Star show.
Greitens had been charged with a felony in 2018 connected to allegations of violent sexual misconduct. Though the charge was ultimately dropped, the Navy wasn’t ready to welcome the former governor back at a time when the military was facing intense criticism over its response to sexual assault in its ranks.
It was after the intervention of Vice President Mike Pence’s office that Greitens was allowed to return as a reservist, the documents show.
...
Greitens and Pence have political ties through Nick Ayers, a veteran GOP strategist that ran Greitens’ 2016 gubernatorial campaign and went on to serve as the vice president’s chief of staff for two years.
Greitens resigned his governorship as part of a plea deal to avoid being prosecuted. It's small wonder that the Navy didn't want him back. But hell, the Navy has a record of bending its rules when it comes to those who can get a powerful politician to push for them. This is at least the second time Pence has been involved with that.
Anyway, Greitens claims to be "fully exonerated", which is some high-grade horseshit. Avoiding prosecution with a deal is not exactly exoneration. That's sort of like Leslie Moonves, who said that the allegations against him when he was CEO of CBS were completely untrue, but he still quit his job. There are a lot of people like that.
The only reason that makes sense for Greitens to have quit being governor was that they had the goods on him, he knew it, and everyone was more interested in getting his drama out of Jefferson City than putting him on trial.
(Not that his successor, a true Covidiot, has been any great improvement.)
It's never really bothered me to be one of the dishonored, now I getting a big chuckle over it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about Parson. All of the Missouri folks I read say that Greitens is a first-level creep.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Republicans think they get a free pass back into power from any sexual misconduct, all the while calling Democrats a danger to family values.
I guess Eric's family values included more off-label uses for duct tape than one would normally assume.
Meanwhile Missouri is about to vote on the Medicaid expansion that neither of them would accept in the middle of a pandemic that is really beginning to catch fire there.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
You'd think the seals would be trump friendly, being so grifty and all. Bunch of carreerists looking to shoot a 'bad guy' 'savage' in the face for the book and teevee rights. Can't be great security with all those inside leaks for big profits. As if trump himself wasn't a constant security leak for purely political/financial reasons.
ReplyDeleteHate to be all brown shoe army but regular army formations hate to be stripped of the best troops for special (spook) duties when, generally, you need that soldier right there in his/her unit. Not stoking his or her career. Yea, even Audie Murphy cashed in. But these career self-publicists in camo are not Audie Murphy. The fish rots from the head and it's all self interest these days in government where trump sets the tone and message. Get it while you can.