Navy's top admiral discusses war college probe

June 12, 2019 12:00 am • Last Updated: June 12, 2019 6:28 pm

FILE - In this May 5, 2019 file photo, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson delivers a speech during the International Maritime Security Conference on the sidelines of the International Maritime Defense Exhibition in Singapore. Richardson is scheduled to visit the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, just days after the president of the college was removed from his post. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim, File)

NEWPORT, R.I. — The Navy's top admiral says an investigation into allegations of mismanagement at the U.S. Naval War College is continuing and he's confident the college will be stronger in the end.

Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, tells The Associated Press on Wednesday that the college in Newport will continue to be a strong, vibrant institution.

The AP reported last week that the college president, Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley, was under investigation for allegedly spending excessively, abusing his hiring authority and otherwise behaving inappropriately, including keeping a margarita machine in his office.

Harley was removed from his post Monday.

Richardson says he felt there was "enough actionable information" to reassign Harley. He called the AP report "responsible and balanced."

Richardson was at the college to speak to students about leadership.

FILE - This undated file image provided by the U.S. Navy shows Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley, president of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. On Monday, June 10, 2019, the Navy said Harley has been reassigned pending the outcome of an inspector general investigation. The administrative reassignment comes days after The Associated Press reported on the investigation amid allegations that he spent excessively, abused his hiring authority and otherwise behaved inappropriately. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)

CORRECTION: TAKES OUT REFERENCE OF OFFICIAL ARTIST’S PORTRAIT ADDS INFORMATION ABOUT PORTRAIT: This May 2019 photo provided by U.S. Naval War College president Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley, shows a portrait of Harley, left, displayed in a gallery in Conolly Hall on the school's campus in Newport, R.I. Harley, who is bald, said the portrait was made by a professor who paid for it himself and gave it to Harley as a joke. He called it a way to poke fun of himself. Dozens of emails, which span from December 2017 to May 2019, were shared with The Associated Press by people at the war college who said they were concerned about Harley's leadership and judgment. (Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harley/U.S. Naval War College via AP)

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