Veteran and activist Charlotte Clymer gave a thorough smackdown to New York State Conservative Party leader Jerry Kassar on X, after the latter tried to lecture her about U.S. military academy honor codes.
The controversy stems from an incident this week in which the Trump administration illegally leaked records from New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill's time in the Naval Academy. That data revealed that Sherrill, currently running for governor in a closely-watched race against Trump acolyte Jack Ciattarelli, was prohibited from walking at commencement because she failed to turn in classmates involved in a widespread cheating scandal — though she herself was not implicated in the cheating and went on to serve for nine years, attaining the rank of lieutenant.
The leak of this information to Ciattarelli's campaign earned widespread and bipartisan condemnation as a violation of privacy. Kassar, arguing with Clymer, had his own theory about why it was proper and in the public interest.
"Actually you do not understand it," said Kassar. "She broke the cadet code at the highest level. She could have been expelled. The public has a right to know. The information should not have been with held from the public."
Clymer, who served in the "Old Guard" 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, had a few things to say in response.
"Okay, Sweetie, a number of things here," wrote Clymer. "1. She wasn't a cadet. She was a midshipman. 2. The Naval Academy has an informal Honor Concept, which you're confusing with West Point's formal Honor Code. West Point has a rigid, legalistic approach that requires reporting, while the Naval Academy encourages peer-driven accountability and culturally-motivated integrity to handle honor issues. 3. Thus, at West Point, failing to report cheating results in structured punishment up to expulsion adjudicated through a formal process; failing to do so at the Naval Academy may still result in severe punishment but is not required, leaving room for nuance in the circumstances."
That being said, she continued, "Whether or not the public has the right to know if a 21-year-old declined to snitch on her classmates at the Naval Academy is still besides the main point here: her records were illegally accessed and released for political purposes. And you seem to be ignoring that simple fact."
"Before speaking on military matters when you haven't served yourself, I would encourage you to research these issues a bit more," Clymer concluded. "Doing so can avoid moments like this."
