Lt. Jacob Portier, platoon commander of recently acquitted Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, is now set to stand trial in September, The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting.
The newspaper noted Portier is charged with a number of offenses related to Gallagher.
He is charged with conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly holding Gallagher’s re-enlistment ceremony near a dead enemy combatant. The dead fighter is the same combatant Gallagher was not found not guilty of murdering. Portier is also facing a charge of failure to report war crime allegations against Gallagher and with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying evidence. He is also accused of failing to supervise Gallagher.
Gallagher was acquitted Tuesday of murder and all other charges except for unlawfully posing with the corpse of a captive Islamic State fighter. The case had drawn the interest of President Donald Trump.
Portier is set to go on trial on Sept 3. But Jeremiah Sullivan, Portier’s lead civilian defense attorney, questioned why the military is still pursuing the case.
“Despite the acquittal of Chief Gallagher, the Navy is going ahead with its prosecution of Lt. Portier,” Sullivan said. “The pursuit of Portier is a vendetta.”
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