Acting Navy Undersecretary Robert Martinage has been forced out of his job over alleged inappropriate conduct with a subordinate woman.
Martinage told his staff of his resignation Tuesday morning, according to theNavy Times.
Martinage, whose permanent position had been deputy Navy undersecretary for plans, policy, oversight and integration, had been performing the duties of the undersecretary since Robert Work resigned last May to take a position with the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank.
The resignation took many in the Navy Department by surprise, and reportedly came swiftly after Martinage was confronted by investigatory evidence.
The nomination of Jo Ann Rooney as the new undersecretary was approved Jan. 9 by a Senate committee, but she has yet to be confirmed by the full Senate. In October, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand placed a hold on Rooney’s nomination over her stance that the prosecution of rape and sexual assault should remain in the military chain of command.
Deputy Navy undersecretary and deputy chief management officer Tom Hicks will serve as the acting undersecretary until Rooney comes on board, according to the Navy Times.
