Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, who led the Pentagon from the period after the 2020 election through Inauguration Day, said that he “did not and would not ever authorize” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to have “secret” calls with his Chinese counterpart, describing the allegations as a “disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination,” and calling on him to resign “immediately.”

In a statement to Fox News, Miller said that the United States Armed Forces, from its inception, has “operated under the inviolable principle of civilian control of the military.”

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“The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest-ranking military officer whose sole role is providing military-specific advice to the president, and by law is prohibited from exercising executive authority to command forces,” Miller said. “The chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense, not through the Chairman.”

Miller went on to reference the allegations, which are included in the book “Peril,” co-written by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, that Milley made two secret phone calls, both to his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army…

But Fox News spoke with multiple individuals who were in the room during the two phone calls Milley had with Li. The calls, in October, were coordinated with then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s office.

“They were not secret,” a U.S. official told Fox News…

“If the reporting in Woodward’s book is accurate, it represents a disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination by the Nation’s top military officer,” Miller said, adding that if the story of Milley’s “histrionic outbursts and unsanctioned, anti-Constitutional involvement in foreign policy prove true, he must resign immediately or be fired by the Secretary of Defense…”

“Pursuit of partisan politics and individual self-interests are a violation of an officer’s sacred duty and have no place in the United States military,” Miller said…

“Any accusations that President Trump was intent on starting a war with China are completely unfounded,” Miller said…

Miller added: “I look forward to a full, non-partisan investigation of the accusations made by Woodward to guarantee that the genius of our Founders and following generations that established a system and culture of the subservience of our military…to civilian control endures.”

And former chief of staff for the Department of Defense Kash Patel told Fox News that “the law governing the Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically forbids the chairman from exercising any operational command authority.”…

Patel added that if the calls with China are true, Milley “has violated the law regarding operational authority.”

“Calling a foreign counterpart and discussing operational capabilities against that enemy is literally treasonous,” Patel said. “The White House, nor the Office of the Secretary of Defense authorized the chairman to conduct any calls with Chinese officials regarding operations.”

And deputy chief of staff to the Department of Defense Joe Francescon also told Fox News that it was “the policy at the time that there was no senior government engagement with China, owing to their bad acts and efforts.”

Francescon added that it was the “blanket policy at the time not to have high-level engagement with the Chinese on matters like this,” and added that Miller and his office were “not told in advance of any call to the Chinese specifically.”

“At most, they were presented that Milley was calling foreign allies and partners to reassure them,” he said.

But spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Col. Dave Butler is defending allegations of “secret” calls with his Chinese counterpart, saying the conversations are “vital” to “reducing tensions” and “avoiding unintended consequences or conflict,” maintaining that the calls were coordinated with high-level defense officials…

Butler said that Milley’s calls “with the Chinese and others in October and January were in keeping with these duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability.”…

Meanwhile, a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, maintained that Milley routinely calls his Chinese and Russian counterparts, and explained that he has been speaking to Li for about five years. The source said this is normal for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

According to the official, there was full civilian oversight of the phone calls, including a representative of the State Department and Milley’s political adviser. Notes of the calls were taken and a summary note was sent to the Defense secretary and the intelligence community, the official said…

Another source said the call was in the context of assuring adversaries that the United States were not planning any military action…

Does it alarm you that Milley may have shared inappropriate information with China? Share a prayer for truth and accountability in this situation, and for our leaders in general.

(Excerpt from Fox News. Article by Brooke Singman. Photo Credit: Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images).