Pentagon spokeswoman under probe for retaliating against staff members

Washington : Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, is currently under probe for allegedly retaliating against staff members who complained against her for asking them to do her personal work.

White has been under investigation by the Defence Department Office of Inspector General for several weeks after multiple complaints were filed against her, informed sources told CNN on Tuesday.

She is alleged to have misused support staff, asking them, among other things, to fetch her laundry and medicines and work on her mortgage paperwork.

Staffers also charged that she inappropriately transferred personnel after they filed complaints about her.

White has not been found to have violated of any federal regulation or policy at this point.

As many as half a dozen defence personnel have been interviewed so far, the sources said.

White became spokeswoman in April 2017 and reports directly to Defence Secretary James Mattis.

Pentagon ethics standards state that "a DoD (Department of Defence) official may not direct or request subordinates to use official time to perform any activities other than official activities".

White previously served as a foreign policy adviser to Senator John McCain of Arizona, worked on the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a director of communications for the Renault-Nissan Alliance in France.