DOD: Rep. Kirk Campaigned While On Active Duty

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) suffered another blow yesterday thanks to a new revelation about his service in the Navy Reserves.  In the past few weeks, Kirk's embellished military record and false statements concerning foreign policy have been exposed. Now, it appears the Defense Department actually admonished Kirk for engaging in "partisan political activities" while on active duty.

The Huffington Post reports:

In the latest twist in the ever-growing Mark Kirk military service fiasco, the Illinois Senate candidate appears to have violated military regulations by campaigning while on active duty.

If Kirk did indeed campaign while serving, as a newly released Department of Defense memo suggests, the offense would be punishable by up to two years of confinement and dishonorable discharge from the military.

The memo was released to the Nitpicker blog, which has played an instrumental role in investigating Mark Kirk's embellished military record. Kirk required the document, an "exception to policy" memo, in order to serve in the military while a member of Congress, which is illegal unless such an exception is issued.

Terry Welch, a.k.a. "The Nitpicker," published the relevant section of the memo and explained its significance:

As a candidate for the vacant Senate seat in Illinois, Commander Kirk must complete the appropriate acknowledgment of limitations required for all candidates on active duty (DoDD 1344.10, paragraph 4.3.5.). Ordinarily this acknowledgment must be completed within 15 days of entering active duty. Because of the short period of active duty and concerns arising from his partisan political activities during his last two tours of active duty, Commander Kirk must complete this form prior to his entry on active duty.

You see, most of this document is the usual regulation-laced DoD gobbledygook, but those last few sentences should be shockers to people who know how the military works. The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Plans) is clearly stating that Kirk violated DoD regulations in the past by conducting "partisan political activities" while on active duty. Not only that, but she is calling Kirk out over those violations.

[...] Mark Kirk broke the law at least twice according to this memo and seems to have escaped any punishment at all.

Kirk's camp dismissed the latest charge as a "partisan ploy," but this isn't the first time his political conduct on active duty has come up.  After he posted on Twitter from the National Military Command Center last summer, Kirk struck an apologetic tone, saying, "It's something I will not do again."