There was surely a time – and not that long ago, when Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan might have been elevated to one of the highest posts in government without so much as a lukewarm objection. An ongoing FBI investigation into a violet assault on his ex-wife prompted the fall of Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
Thankfully, times have changed and acts of domestic violence are no longer acceptable to a civilized society. Despite the fact that the violence occurred nearly a decade ago it is certainly no excuse.
The Fall of Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan
The story first came to light as a thorough background check was being conducted by the FBI to determine Patrick Shanahan’s fitness for the defense department office. The FBI determined that Shanahan had been involved in a violent assault on his ex-wife back in 2010. In today’s environment of constant media scrutiny into political fitness, USA Today got tipped to the fact that the FBI had been probing the act of violence.
The FBI investigation plus media scrutiny resulted in the White House withdrawing Shanahan’s confirmation. In a prepared letter, Shanahan said: “it is unfortunate that a painful and deeply personal family situation from long ago is being dredged up and painted in an incomplete and therefore misleading way in the course of this process.”
He continued, “I believe my continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family’s life and reopen wounds we have worked years to heal. Ultimately, their safety and well-being is my highest priority. I would welcome the opportunity to be Secretary of Defense, but not at the expense of being a good father.”
All Well and Good, But –
When news of the domestic violence came to light, many ugly facts were revealed about a family in deep trouble. As to the domestic violence itself, the police determined that punches were thrown though Shanahan denied he had been the one throwing those punches. Then another article surfaced detailing how Shanahan’s son was arrested a year later, in 2011, for allegedly beating his mother with a baseball bat. At the time, Shanahan defended his son, saying that the son was defending himself against the mother. However, in this latest version of the story, Shanahan dropped the claim of his son defending himself.
In the latest communication from the White House, they said the nomination of Patrick Shanahan was being withdrawn so he could “spend more time with his family.” The fall of Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan!
Patrick Shanahan was an employee of Boeing for more than 30 years before being tapped to serve in the Pentagon. A man who earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and an MBA, he was very highly placed in his organization. In April 2016, Boing named him their senior vice president, Supply Chain & Operations. He was named to the Boeing executive council and among other accomplishments, he was on the team that developed the 777.
It leads me to an important point. There is often an inherent bias that our society has developed as to those who perpetrate domestic violence acts. Shanahan was in line to assume the highest civilian position in the Pentagon and he came through the ranks of the industry as a man of great power and wealth. We don’t like to imagine these types of privileged people as abusers – yet, they all too frequently are.
His family was torn apart by domestic violence and most probably he committed violence against his wife, or at least the pressure cooker of the home was violent such as multiple acts of violence and abuse were being committed.
Until our society understands how rampant sexual abuse and violence have become, we will not make meaningful progress in understanding its roots and how to curb abusive situations in families. I also cannot help but wonder who knew what, at Boeing, and if there were hints of such behaviors while he was working for them.
How did he get tapped for the Pentagon with this background and was there, even in its most tacit form, a condoning of the violence? For now, this fallen man is without a job and exposed as a perpetrator.
