A general fired for a “swinger” sex scandal kept his security clearance until USA Today made the story public, Army officials acknowledged on Wednesday.
The married Maj. Gen. David Haight was removed from his post directing plans and operations for the Pentagon’s European Command after an internal investigation in April found that he misused his government email and cell phone to conduct an 11-year affair amid allegations of a “swinger lifestyle.” However, USA Today reported Wednesday that he kept his classified information clearance for five more months after the Army inspector general reached those conclusions.
Haight’s girlfriend, Jennifer Armstrong, told USA Today that he regularly went to swingers’ clubs to have sex with multiple partners, a secret life that government officials have argued might have made him vulnerable to blackmail or espionage. The general was never required to take a lie detector test as it was not required, but lawmakers are looking at re-evaluating the policy.
“We’ve got to take a holistic look at the entire process and determine how best to fill gaps that have become painfully evident in the system we’re using to ensure we can continue to trust those privy to the highest levels of secrecy in our government,” said Sen Claire McCaskill, D- Mo., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “And maybe even more challenging is that we need to try to do so in a way that doesn’t make the current backlog of clearance checks and rechecks unnecessarily worse. Because frankly it’s a national security threat either way, and we’ve got to get this right.”
The general was promoted three times during his secret affair. In his last job, he oversaw European operations including monitoring Russia. The Pentagon authorizes the use of a lie detector in the case of allegations of wrongdoing and for people involved in intelligence programs or access to sensitive information. The guidelines do not include questions about an individual’s sex life.
Haight is being forced to retire because extramarital affairs violate military law, and a panel will determine the last rank he served honorably. The Pentagon will determine if his clearance should be reinstated. He can appeal if it is revoked again.
