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Military Intelligence

In 2013, the U.S. Navy found out that Ted “Twig” Branch had come under some suspicion in a massive investigation involving bribery and the leaking of classified information to a contractor. It suspended Branch’s security clearance, but didn’t remove Branch, a three-star admiral, from his job at the helm of Navy Intelligence. For more than 800 days, he’s held that job even though his colleagues have to sweep their offices for classified documents before he comes in to see them, and even though he can’t participate in intelligence community meetings around secret operations. The Navy has worked toward sending the Senate a nominee to replace Branch, but it hasn’t actually done so. “We have no actionable information on Admiral Branch, good, bad, or otherwise,” a Navy official said. The official did not want to give his name because he did not want federal prosecutors, who continue their investigation, to get angry at him. (AC/Washington Post) ...Considering what their mere suspicion has done to Admiral Branch, who hasn’t even been indicted, that’s probably wise.