General’s rank cut after sex case plea

WASHINGTON – The Army is reducing the rank of a brigadier general at the center of a sexual misconduct case by two grades for his pending retirement, in a rare move that will slash his benefits and force him to retire as a lieutenant colonel.

Army Secretary John McHugh announced the decision Friday, saying that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair “displayed a pattern of inappropriate and at times illegal behavior both while serving as a brigadier general and a colonel.”

Sinclair is due to retire in late summer.

The Army said his retirement pay will be reduced by more than 30 percent, dropping by $2,831 a month to $6,198.

McHugh’s move comes three months after Sinclair pleaded guilty at a court-martial to adultery and conducting inappropriate relationships with two other women. During the past year, his case has been a central topic in Congress in the debate over whether the military has adequately handled sexual assault cases.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., one of the key voices in the House pushing for stronger action on sexual assault in the military, said Friday that McHugh’s action was inadequate.