(Press Release) Congressman Keith Self led a letter to U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Yvette M. Davids condemning the Academy’s decision to invite New York University Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat to deliver the annual Bancroft Lecture.
Professor Ben-Ghiat has publicly stated that it is her intention to use the platform to attack a current presidential candidate, Donald Trump, in what would be a clear violation of Department of Defense regulations prohibiting partisan political activity by military institutions.
“The Bancroft Lecture has long been a symbol of prestigious historical analysis at the United States Naval Academy, honoring its founder, George Bancroft, and celebrating historical analysis.
Turning this respected tradition into a soapbox for leveling attacks on a candidate less than two months from election day would destroy the foundation of this historic lecture,” said Congressman Self.
Congressman Self highlighted Department of Defense Directive No. 1344.10, which explicitly prohibits members of the military, including administrators and teachers at service academies, from engaging in partisan political activities.
Congressman Self asserts that the Naval Academy’s sponsorship of Professor Ben-Ghiat’s lecture amounts to an official endorsement of a partisan agenda, in direct violation of this mandate.
In the letter, Congressman Self urged the Naval Academy to follow the DoD Directive by correcting this action and disinviting Professor Ben-Ghiat.
USNA Superintendent Davids must ensure that the academy remains an institution dedicated to the nonpartisan and professional education to our future military leaders.
The full text of the letter is available HERE.
Congressman Keith Self, West Point Class of 1975: Barack Obama Does Not Embody Duty, Honor, Country
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