DRAGS OUT THIS WEEK. >> SURE THING.
>>> EARLIER TODAY THE SENATE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
QUESTIONED AIR FORCE GENERAL
JOHN HYTEN ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. KATHRYN SPLETSISER SAID HE MADE
UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES.
THIS CAME UP AFTER HE WAS
NOMINATED TO BE THE JOINT CHIEFS
OF STAFF.
OF STAFF. THEY REVIEWED THE ALLEGATIONS
AND FOUND INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
TO CHARGE HYTEN.
HYTEN DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS.
EARLIER, SHE SPOKE TO THE PRESS.
>> I FELT LIKE I GOT SANDBAGGED
IN THERE.
IN THERE. YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THE OSI
INVESTIGATION WAS DONE?
IT INVESTIGATED THE VICTIM.
ITS APPROACH WAS TO BLAME, SHAME
AND DISCREDIT THE VICTIM.
IT DID NOT INVESTIGATE THE
SUBJECT THOROUGHLY.
SUBJECT THOROUGHLY. >> AS SOMEONE WHO HAD ALMOST
BEEN RAPED THAT EVENING --
DEVASTATED AS A HUMAN BEING.
AND I WAS SCARED.
>> COURTNEY KUBE HAS BEEN
FOLLOWING THIS STORY AND JOINS
US FROM THE PENTAGON.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE REPORT.
WHAT DID THAT ORIGINAL REPORT IN
THIS CASE FIND?
>> IT’S JUST LIKE YOU SAID.
THIS IS AN OSI INVESTIGATION.
IT’S A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
IT DOESN’T ACTUALLY FIND GUILT
OR INNOCENCE BUT BASED OFF OF
THE FINDINGS AND BASED OFF OF
WHAT IT PUTS TOGETHER, IT CAN
LEAD TO CHARGES.
IN THIS CASE, THE INVESTIGATION
DID NOT LEAD TO ANY CHARGES
AGAINST GENERAL HYTEN.
THERE’S A -- LIKE A -- THERE’S
SOMEONE WHO LOOKS AT THIS AND
THEN DETERMINES WHETHER HE
SHOULD GO TO POTENTIALLY AN
ARTICLE 32, A GENERAL
COURT-MARTIAL FOR ANY KIND OF
CHARGES.
CHARGES. AND IN THIS CASE, IT DOESN’T
HAVE -- THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH
EVIDENCE IN THE INVESTIGATION TO
TAKE GENERAL HYTEN TO CHARGES
AND TO A COURT-MARTIAL.
>> WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THERE
MAY BE ANOTHER INVESTIGATION
INTO THESE ALLEGATIONS OR THAT
THIS COULD GO FURTHER?
>> LOW TO NONE.
YOU KNOW, DEFENSE OFFICIALS I’VE
SPOKEN WITH.
SPOKEN WITH. IT’S A FAIR QUESTION AND THE
EXACT QUESTION I’VE BEEN ASKING
EVER SINCE I STARTED LOOKING
INTO IT.
INTO IT. AND THEN TODAY AFTER THIS
CONFIRMATION HEARING ENDED AND
DEFENSE OFFICIALS I SPOKE WITH
SAY AS OF NOW THERE’S NO
MOMENTUM.
MOMENTUM. IF, IN FACT, THIS CONTINUES TO
GO ON, THE ONLY THING I COULD
SEE THAT COULD MOVE -- THAT
COULD POTENTIALLY CONTINUE THIS
LINE OF QUESTIONING AND CONTINUE
THIS IS IF, BY CHANCE, THE
ACCUSER HERE WERE TO TESTIFY IN
SOME SORT OF OPEN HEARING.
SHE OFFERED TO DO THAT LAST WEEK
AND THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE DID NOT TAKE HER UP ON
THAT.
THAT. I DON’T ANTICIPATE THAT
HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE
FACT THAT THE SENATE IS JUST
ABOUT TO GO INTO AN EXTENDED
RECESS FOR THE REST OF THE
SUMMER.
SUMMER. SO AT THIS POINT IT SEEMS THE
NEXT MOVEMENT WE’LL HAVE ON THIS
ENTIRE CASE IS THAT GENERAL
HYTEN IS EXPECTED TO BE
CONFIRMED OUT OF COMMITTEE.
THEN THE QUESTION IS, WILL THE
ENTIRE SENATE TAKE UP THIS
CONFIRMATION BEFORE THEY GO ON
RECESS?
RECESS? IT DOESN’T SEEM THAT WAY.
SEEMS THAT WILL BE EXTENDED OVER
THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO AND
THEY’LL DEAL WITH IT IN THE
FALL.
FALL. WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THE PERSON
HE’S SUPPOSED TO REPLACE, THE
CURRENT VICE CHAIRMAN, IS
SCHEDULED TO RETIRE TOMORROW.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> SO WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER CASE
HERE OF A SENIOR LEADER IN THE
PENTAGON WITH AN UNFILLED
POSITION.
POSITION. >> WOW.
>> WOW. HAVE YOU GOT ANY SENSE FROM THE
SENATE OVERALL, HOW THE SENATORS
ARE REACTING TO THE ALLEGATIONS?
WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN SAYING?
>> I THINK I’VE SPOKEN TO A
NUMBER OF SENATORS.
SINCE ALL THIS STARTED AND AFTER
THEY HEARD FROM THE COLONEL LAST
TUESDAY, I SPENT TIME ON THE
HILL SPEAKING TO MEMBERS AND
STAFFERS AND WHATNOT.
AND THEY -- PEOPLE WERE
RESERVING THEIR JUDGMENT UNTIL
THEY HEARD FROM GENERAL HYTEN.
HE TESTIFIED IN A CLOSED HEARING
ON THURSDAY.
ON THURSDAY. I’M TOLD BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO WERE PRESENT THAT THEY WENT
THROUGH CHAPTER AND VERSE OF
THIS OSI INVESTIGATION AND INTO
THE NITTY-GRITTY TO TALK TO HIM
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. THE FACT HE WENT ON TO -- THEY
SCHEDULED A CONFIRMATION HEARING
AFTER THAT GIVES YOU A GOOD
SENSE OF WHERE MANY OF THE
SENATORS’ HEADS ARE AND THEY
BELIEVE IT LOOKED INTO THE
ALLEGATIONS AND DIDN’T
SUBSTANTIATE AND DIDN’T THINK
THEY NEEDED THIS CONFIRMATION
HEARING TO BE HELD UP.
AND I THINK THE MOST POWERFUL
THING WE HEARD FROM TODAY WAS
SENATOR MARTHA McSALLY.
SHE’S A SELF-PROCLAIMED VICTIM
OF MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> SHE CAME OUT IN A STRONG AND
POWERFUL DEFENSE OF GENERAL
HYTEN.
HYTEN. AT ONE POINT, EVEN APOLOGIZING
TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY FOR WHAT
HE WENT THROUGH HERE.
THE FACT THAT SHE, YOU KNOW, AND
SHE HAS SAID IN AND HER STAFF
HAS SAID SHE SPENT HOURS GOING
THROUGH THE ALLEGATIONS AND THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SHE FELT COMFORTABLE AND SAID
THAT, IN FACT, IT WAS FULLY
INVESTIGATED AND THAT IT WAS A
FAIR AND THOROUGH PROCESS.
THAT’S ONE OF THE STRONGEST
INDICATORS WE HAVE OF WHERE HIS
CONFIRMATION AND WHERE HIS
NOMINATION IS ULTIMATELY GOING
TO GO HERE, ALISON.