Admiral Retires at Full Rank After Senators Drop Call for Inquiry

A four-star admiral accused of mishandling a sexual harassment case won retirement at his full four-star rank Tuesday after four female senators withdrew their bid to open a new investigation.

In exchange for a promise that the Senate would more closely examine military nominees, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) withdrew her amendment blocking the four-star retirement of Adm. Henry H. Mauz Jr., who was accused of being unresponsive to a sexual harassment case in his command.

The Senate then voted 92 to 6 to accept President Clinton’s proposal that Mauz retire at full four-star rank. Mauz, 58, now commanding the Navy fleet off Haiti, is retiring as commander in chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet after 35 years in the Navy.

“I have come to the conclusion that the best use of my time and energy is not a single nomination, but on bringing about reform and change to the overall system,” Murray said in explaining why she withdrew her amendment.

Murray, joined by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), wanted the Senate Armed Services Committee to investigate the allegations against Mauz instead of relying on internal reviews by the Pentagon and Navy.

The debate over Mauz’s retirement marked the third time this year that the Senate scrutinized a senior Navy officer’s handling of sexual harassment. It raised the issue of whether the Navy adequately investigates its own top brass, highlighted efforts by female senators to increase their influence and challenged the authority of the male-dominated Senate Armed Services Committee, which had voted 22 to 0 in favor of Mauz.

Republicans complained that Murray was besmirching a highly decorated combat veteran for the sake of political correctness.

Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), the Armed Services Committee chairman, said Mauz had responded aggressively and appropriately when he learned of the sexual harassment suffered by Lt. Darlene Simmons.

Nunn conceded that “an assessment of the process by which the executive branch and the committee review both civil and military nominations is in order.” Nunn said he would urge the committee and the Pentagon to propose improvements before the end of the year.