Inspector General to probe whether acting Pentagon chief helped Boeing

FILE PHOTO: U.S. acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan pauses during remarks on the proposed U.S. Space Force at a think tank in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC16FB00EB00/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon Inspector General said on Wednesday that it would investigate a complaint that acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, violated ethical rules by allegedly promoting Boeing while in office.

Last week Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Inspector General saying that Shanahan had appeared to violate the ethical rules by "promoting Boeing in the scope of his official duties at the Department of Defense (DOD) and disparaging the company's competitors to his subordinates."