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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Patrick Shanahan: Pentagon chief's ties to Boeing investigated [bbc.com]

The Pentagon has launched an inquiry into acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan for alleged favouritism to his ex-employer, Boeing. The Defence Department's inspector general will look into the matter following a complaint from a watchdog group.

Mr Shanahan is accused of frequently praising Boeing in meetings about government contracts and acquisitions. Mr Shanahan, who denies any wrongdoing, spent 30 years at Boeing. He rose through the ranks to become a senior executive at the world's biggest planemaker.

Last week Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Pentagon inspector general about Mr Shanahan.

[...] The inquiry casts a shadow over Mr Shanahan as the White House considers whether to formally nominate him to fill the defence secretary post left vacant by Jim Mattis, who stepped down in December.

Boeing is already under pressure after the deadly crash of one of its 737 Max 8 passenger jets in Ethiopia last week.

Also at NYT [nytimes.com].

See also: How Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan May Have Promoted Boeing Over Competitors [npr.org]

Related: DoJ Issues Subpoenas in 737 Max Investigation [soylentnews.org]

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