Letter to Acting Inspector General U.S. Dept. Of Defense Mr. Thomas F. Gimble

Letter

Today, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representative Michael Honda (CA-15) wrote the Defense Department Inspector General to ask that the family of Army Corporal Patrick Tillman be given a "reasonable opportunity" to review the findings of the investigation into his 2004 death in Afghanistan.

The letter follows:

Acting Honorable Thomas F. Gimble
Acting Inspector General U.S.
Department of Defense
400 Army Navy Drive, Suite 1000
Arlington, VA 22202-4704

Dear Acting Inspector General Gimble:

We write to urge you strongly to afford the family of Army Corporal Patrick Tillman the opportunity to review the results of the investigation into his 2004 death prior to its public release.

It is our understanding that your office intends to release imminently the results of the investigation simultaneously to the Tillman family, Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and the media. Corporal Tillman's family has suffered immeasurable pain as a result of his loss, and has undergone great strain over the course of a protracted and often flawed series of investigations. We believe that obliging the Tillmans to face what will surely be substantial and immediate media attention without the benefit of reviewing the report's results prior to its public release will place an undue additional burden on them.

The Tillman family has represented to us that, should you afford them this consideration, under no circumstances would they reveal the results to anyone prior to public release of the report. In light of what they have undergone, giving them a reasonable opportunity to review the findings is only fair and just.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Michael M. Honda
Member of Congress

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