Earlier this week Alabama Today reported Congressman Mike Rogers current chief of staff Marshall Macomber announced he leaving the office. Today, Rogers announced his new chief of staff will be Christopher R. Brinson, his long time deputy chief of staff.
Prior to joining Rogers office Brinson served in the U.S. Army Reserve Captain. A Salon.com article detailed a Brinson’s fight over a reprimand he received in the investigation of the Abu Ghraib scandal.
U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Christopher R. Brinson, who in civilian life works as the deputy chief of staff for Alabama Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, was directly in charge of some of the military police later prosecuted for abuse at Abu Ghraib during the notorious autumn of 2003. Brinson received the reprimand in January 2006, but it had not been revealed publicly until his attorney, David P. Sheldon, confirmed it to Salon Thursday, noting that Brinson has since submitted a rebuttal to the Army. The attorney would not reveal the exact reason for Brinson’s punishment.
Through Sheldon, Brinson told Salon that he was unaware of his soldiers’ actions, and blamed superior officers for what happened at the prison.
“The responsibility for the command and control of the facility, and for the treatment of detainees, rests entirely with individuals well above him in the command structure,” Sheldon said in a statement to Salon. “The command structure that Captain Brinson inherited at Abu Ghraib was not of his making. Nor was the treatment of detainees something that members of his unit initiated. Captain Brinson had no knowledge while he was at Abu Ghraib of conduct by certain soldiers that subsequently led to criminal prosecutions of those soldiers,” Sheldon’s statement says. “At all times, Captain Brinson’s service to the United States Army has been and will remain honorable.”
In a statement released by his office Rogers said:
“First, I would like to thank Marshall for all his hard work and dedication. I know he will bring that same determination and skill to his new career. I wish him all the best. Chris has been on the Hill for over 17 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and managerial skills to the position. He is very familiar with East Alabama and I know he will be a great asset to me and my staff in this new role.”
