Report: General investigated for lavish travel

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will decide by the end of the month the fate of a four-star general under investigation for lavish travel and other perks, The Associated Press reported.

Army Gen. William “Kip” Ward, a former chief of U.S. Africa Command, has been under investigation for nearly a year and a half, after he left the Africa command post last year.

The AP reports that Ward faces allegations he spent more than six figures allowing unauthorized people — including family members — to fly on government planes, citing several unnamed Pentagon officials. He also is accused of spending excessive amounts on hotel rooms, transportation and more.

A spokeswoman for the Defense Department inspector general confirmed the investigation into Ward to The Hill, and said the investigation was completed in June. A publically-releasable version of the report is being prepared, she said.

Ward, whose retirement has been held up by the investigation, could be demoted to a three-star general before he retires, which could cost him up to $1 million in retirement pay, the AP reported.

Army spokesman George Wright did not confirm that Ward was under investigation but said he is still on active duty and assigned as a special assistant to the Army vice chief of staff. He technically is now a two-star general because he has not remained in a four-star position.

Ward was the first head of U.S. Africa Command, which was created in 2007 and based in Stuttgart, Germany.

— This story was updated at 6:25 p.m.

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