“Captain Crozier may or may not have been justified in his approach to safeguarding the health and well-being of the men and women under his command. There are significant chain of command questions that require a full review," said Crist.

“But the actions of Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, who shut down the investigation, and then personally attacked the Captain in a speech to the ship’s crew, are unconscionable. It brought drama and invective into an already challenging situation, and displayed incredibly poor judgement. Acting Secretary Modly should resign or be relieved of his duties. He is unfit to lead our Navy or serve in any position of leadership in our armed forces.”