An investigation released on Wednesday into U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret 2024 hospitalization found his desire for privacy drove notification failures inside the government, and that he took medication that could have affected his cognitive functions while still in sole command.

The investigation details exasperation among key aides to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as he refused to disclose the extent of his medical crisis last year.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization scandal last year increased national security risks and should have been handled better, according to a new report from the Pentagon’s watchdog. The Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense (OIG),