Retired Army major general busted down for using DoD credit card at strip clubs

A Retired US Army Major General will retroactively lose a star after the Army discovered that he used a government credit card to pay his strip club tabs in Rome and South Korea.

Retired Major General Ronald Lewis -remembered by many as the senior military assistant to former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter- will be demoted to the rank of brigadier general after it was discovered he used the government’s money to visit strip clubs, made false statements, was involved in an extramarital affair and “engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman on multiple occasions.”

Lewis -who was formerly a three-star general- was fired by Carter over a year ago when it was discovered that Lewis had had an affair and misused government money, thus making this his second demotion in the general ranks. Federal law states that military officers can only retire with the benefits they last served “satisfactorily.”

“In this case, the Secretary determined that Maj. Gen. Lewis’ highest grade of satisfactory service was as a Brigadier General,” Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement.

While Carter was a good friend of Lewis, he nonetheless did not disagree with the punishment when the investigation concluded.

“I expect the highest possible standards of conduct from the men and women in this department particularly from those serving in the most senior positions,” he said. “There is no exception.”

According to NBC, investigative reports show that Lewis spent $1,121.25 in a South Korean strip club and $1,755.98 in an Italian club of ill-repute, with both establishments carrying a stigma of being frequented by prostitutes. While in South Korea, Lewis lied to Citibank by claiming his card had been stolen, leading to the charges being forgiven.

In addition to his hard-partying ways, Lewis was also found to engage in inappropriate relationships with female subordinates and drank heavily in front of junior officers.

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