Lloyd Austin Scandal Spreads: White House Launches Government-Wide Review of Cabinet Delegation Protocols

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients is launching a review of protocols for cabinet members delegating authority, after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hid an emergency hospitalization from President Joe Biden for several days last week, according to a report.

Axios, which first obtained a memo outlining the parameters of the review, reported Tuesday that the Pentagon is under growing pressure from members of Congress to explain why he hid his January 1 hospitalization from them, Biden, and White House officials.

White House officials insist that Biden has full confidence in Austin, and defense officials say Austin has no plans to resign, but the chief of staff is seeking to ensure the communication and transparency breakdown is never repeated, the report said.

Zients is demanding that all Cabinet secretaries submit their protocols for delegating authority by January 12.

Pentagon officials insist that either Austin or Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was always in charge, but the timing of when Austin delegated responsibilities too Hicks — who was on vacation in Puerto Rico when he did so — is murky.

Zients’ review comes after the Pentagon said it would investigate itself over what happened.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon revealed that Austin had undergone surgery for prostate cancer on December 22, 2023, but had not told Biden about that until Tuesday.

The Pentagon had initially claimed it was an “elective procedure.”

According to the Pentagon, Austin had experienced complications from that surgery and was admitted to the hospital via ambulance from his home on January 1 but did not transfer some of his responsibilities to Hicks until the next day.

Austin allegedly did not inform Biden or Hicks about his hospitalization until January 4. Hicks allegedly made plans to come back to D.C., but decided to stay in Puerto Rico after Austin assumed full duties on January 5, when the public was notified.

The Pentagon said Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, was notified of Austin’s hospitalization on January 2 but was out with the flu, which allegedly delayed notification.

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