Richard V. Spencer
{{Short description|American politician & businessman (born 1954)}}
{{For|other people with similar names|Richard Spencer (disambiguation){{!}}Richard Spencer}}
{{Distinguish|Richard B. Spencer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = Richard V. Spencer official photo.jpg
|caption = Official portrait, 2019
|office = 76th United States Secretary of the Navy
|president = Donald Trump
|deputy = Thomas Modly
|term_start = August 3, 2017
|term_end = November 24, 2019
|predecessor = Ray Mabus
|successor = Kenneth Braithwaite
|office1 = Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
|president1 = Donald Trump
|term_start1 = July 24
|term_end1 = July 31, 2019
|predecessor1 = David Norquist (acting)
|successor1 = David Norquist
|office2 = Acting United States Secretary of Defense
|president2 = Donald Trump
|deputy2 = David Norquist (acting)
|term_start2 = July 15
|term_end2 = July 23, 2019
|predecessor2 = Mark Esper (acting)
|successor2 = Mark Esper
|birth_name = Richard Vaughn Spencer
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|1|18}}
|birth_place = Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|education = Rollins College (BA)
|party = Republican{{cite web | last1=Blake | first1=Andrew | title=Richard Spencer, Trump's former Navy secretary, endorses Michael Bloomberg in 2020 race | url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/feb/7/richard-spencer-trumps-former-navy-secretary-endor/ | date=February 7, 2020 | work=The Washington Times | access-date=February 7, 2020}}
|allegiance = United States
|branch = United States Marine Corps
|serviceyears = 1976–1981
|rank = Captain
|footnotes =
}}
Richard Vaughn Spencer (born January 18, 1954) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy from August 3, 2017, to November 24, 2019. While serving as Secretary of the Navy, he also briefly served as Acting United States Secretary of Defense (July 15 to July 23, 2019) and Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (July 24 to July 31, 2019).{{Cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2019/07/15/letter-from-acting-secretary-of-defense-richard-v-spencer-to-pentagon|title=Letter from Acting Secretary of Defense Richard V. Spencer to Pentagon|date=July 15, 2019|website=news.usni.org|access-date=July 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723022439/https://news.usni.org/2019/07/15/letter-from-acting-secretary-of-defense-richard-v-spencer-to-pentagon|archive-date=July 23, 2019|url-status=live}} Spencer served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1981 as a Marine Aviator. He was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Intercontinental Exchange (IEX) from November 2001 to January 2008.
On November 24, 2019, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requested Spencer's resignation due to his handling of the Eddie Gallagher case, specifically that Spencer did not observe the chain of command.{{Cite web |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2025157/statement-on-the-resignation-of-secretary-of-the-navy/ |title=Statement by DOD Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman |website=U.S. Department of Defense |language=en-US |access-date=2019-11-24}}
As of July 2024, Spencer replaced John Rothwell, the founder and chairman of Austal Ltd, as chairman.{{cite web |date=27 June 2024 |title=Austal Chairman transition |url=https://investor.austal.com/static-files/80bbc558-4bd5-4fad-b3b1-79eee9141880 |website=Austal {{!}} Investors}}
Early life
Born in 1954 in Waterbury, Connecticut,{{cite web |url=http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/secretary-of-the-navy-who-is-richard-spencer-170706?news=860236 |title=Appointments and Resignations - Secretary of the Navy: Who Is Richard Spencer? - AllGov |publisher=AllGov |access-date=2017-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710132728/http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/secretary-of-the-navy-who-is-richard-spencer-170706?news=860236 |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live }} Spencer attended Rollins College as an undergraduate, majoring in economics. After graduating, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as a Marine Aviator from 1976 to 1981. While in the Marines, he was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, VMM-161, Marine Aircraft Group 16 with the callsign "Chowder".
Career
After leaving the Marines with the rank of captain, Spencer worked in financial services for 15 years, holding positions at Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, A. G. Becker, Paine Webber and Merrill Lynch. Spencer served on the Defense Business Board, a Pentagon advisory panel, from 2009 to 2015 and on the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel.{{cite web|author=U.S. Navy|url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=1001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125115036/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=1001|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-11-25|title= U.S. Navy Biographies – Richard V. Spencer|access-date=2018-07-27}} During his time on the Defense Business Board, he proposed shutting down domestic military commissaries in favor of negotiated military discounts at public retailers.{{cite news |last=Chandrasekaran |first=Rajiv |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/commissary-plan-backlash-show-difficulty-of-cutting-military-personnel-spending/2013/06/01/15fb6c12-c922-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html |title=Commissary plan, backlash show difficulty of cutting military personnel spending |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2013-05-01 |access-date=2018-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728040323/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/commissary-plan-backlash-show-difficulty-of-cutting-military-personnel-spending/2013/06/01/15fb6c12-c922-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html |archive-date=July 28, 2018 |url-status=live }}
=Secretary of the Navy=
In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Spencer to serve as the 76th United States Secretary of the Navy.{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/327099-president-trump-moves-to-fill-out-top-ranks-at-pentagon/ |title=President Trump moves to fill out top ranks at Pentagon |date=April 3, 2017 |work=The Hill|access-date=2017-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409025136/http://thehill.com/policy/defense/327099-president-trump-moves-to-fill-out-top-ranks-at-pentagon |archive-date=April 9, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |first=Jacqueline |last=Klimas |title=Former Marine Richard V. Spencer to be nominated for Navy Secretary |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/reports-former-marine-richard-v.-spencer-to-be-nominated-for-navy-secretary/article/2616969 |work=The Washington Examiner |date=March 9, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324085550/http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/reports-former-marine-richard-v.-spencer-to-be-nominated-for-navy-secretary/article/2616969 |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |url-status=live }}[https://news.usni.org/2017/03/09/sources-trump-offered-secnav-job-to-former-marine-banker-richard-v-spencer "Newswire Bloomberg reported Trump offered Spencer the job on Thursday."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802131151/https://news.usni.org/2017/03/09/sources-trump-offered-secnav-job-to-former-marine-banker-richard-v-spencer |date=August 2, 2017 }} (March 9, 2017) Spencer was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, 2017.{{cite news|last1=LaGrone|first1=Sam|title=Senate Confirms Richard V. Spencer as SECNAV, Ellen Lord as Pentagon Acquisition Chief|url=https://news.usni.org/2017/08/01/senate-confirms-richard-v-spencer-secnav-ellen-lord-pentagon-acquisition-chief|access-date=7 August 2017|publisher=USNI News|date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808034011/https://news.usni.org/2017/08/01/senate-confirms-richard-v-spencer-secnav-ellen-lord-pentagon-acquisition-chief|archive-date=August 8, 2017|url-status=live}} He was sworn in on August 3, 2017,{{cite web |last=Drew |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/08/03/marine-vet-richard-v-spencer-takes-over-as-navy-secretary.html |title=Marine Vet Richard V. Spencer Takes Over as Navy Secretary |publisher=Military.com |date=2017-08-03 |access-date=2017-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920045959/http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/08/03/marine-vet-richard-v-spencer-takes-over-as-navy-secretary.html |archive-date=September 20, 2017 |url-status=live }} and served until November 24, 2019.
On July 15, 2019, Spencer took on the duties of acting Secretary of Defense and expected "to continue to serve in this role until a Secretary of Defense nominee is confirmed by the Senate and assumes office. At that time, I will continue to serve as Secretary of the Navy." From July 24, 2019 until the end of the month, he assumed the duties of Deputy Secretary of Defense.
In November 2019, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper stated he had learned that Spencer had proposed to White House officials that, if they did not intervene with military justice proceedings against Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, Spencer would ensure that Gallagher was able to retire with his Trident Pin, a symbol of membership in the SEALs. Gallagher had been convicted by court martial in July 2019 of wrongfully posing for an unofficial picture with a human casualty, and acquitted of six additional charges including murder. Spencer's private proposal to the White House – which he did not share with Esper over the course of several conversations about the matter – contradicted his public position on the Gallagher case, chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/11/24/pentagon-chief-asks-navy-secretarys-resignation-over-private-proposal-navy-seals-case/ |title=Pentagon chief asks for Navy secretary's resignation over private proposal in Navy SEAL's case |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |last2=Lamothe |first2=Dan |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2019-11-24}} Esper dismissed Spencer on November 24, 2019, saying he was "flabbergasted" by Spencer going directly to the White House outside the chain of command.{{cite web |last=O’reilly |first=Andrew |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/navy-seal-eddie-gallagher-review-board-trump-interference |title=Eddie Gallagher controversy: Esper fires Navy secretary, SEAL will keep Trident pin, Pentagon says |work=Fox News |date=2019-11-24 |access-date=2019-11-25 }} Spencer then reiterated his public position about Gallagher, and alleged that the White House was pressuring him to let Gallagher retire as a Navy SEAL.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-ordered-gallagher-allowed-retire-navy-seal-defense/story?id=67292918 |title=Trump ordered Gallagher be allowed to retire as Navy SEAL, defense secretary says |first1=Elizabeth |last1=McLaughlin |first2=Luis |last2=Martinez |publisher=ABC News |date=November 25, 2019 |access-date=November 25, 2019}} The next day Esper told reporters that Trump had issued an order that Gallagher be allowed to retire as a Navy SEAL.
In a letter to Trump acknowledging his termination, Spencer stressed his belief in the importance of "good order and discipline", saying, "Unfortunately, it has become apparent that... I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline. I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/24/politics/read-navy-secretary-richard-spencer-resignation-letter/index.html|title= Navy Secretary Richard Spencer's letter to the President acknowledging his termination|date=November 24, 2019|work=CNN|access-date=25 November 2019}}
On November 27, 2019, The Washington Post published an op-ed by Spencer, in which he said that Trump "has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military", and referred to Trump's actions in the Gallagher case as a "shocking and unprecedented intervention".{{cite news |title=Fired navy secretary blasts Trump over 'shocking' handling of Navy seal case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/28/navy-secretary-richard-spencer-donald-trump-navy-seal |access-date=November 28, 2019 |work=The Guardian |agency=Associated Press |date=November 28, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Spencer |first1=Richard |title=Richard Spencer: I was fired as Navy secretary. Here's what I've learned because of it. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-spencer-i-was-fired-as-navy-secretary-heres-what-ive-learned-because-of-it/2019/11/27/9c2e58bc-1092-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html |access-date=November 28, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 27, 2019}}
Later career
On February 7, 2020, Spencer endorsed Michael Bloomberg for U.S. president in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He is a member of the Marine Corps Association and Foundation and the Marine Corps Aviation Association.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=1001 Biography at U.S. Navy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125115036/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=1001 |date=November 25, 2017 }}
- [https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=661471&privcapId=1081952 Bloomberg Background]
- {{C-SPAN|7747}}
- {{C-SPAN|109903}} (alt)
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{{s-ttl|title=United States Secretary of Defense
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{{s-ttl|title=United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
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Category:Connecticut Republicans
Category:Politicians from Waterbury, Connecticut
Category:Rollins College alumni
Category:First Trump administration personnel
Category:United States secretaries of the navy
Category:United States Marine Corps officers