White House nominates Navy Vice Adm. Mike Gilday as next naval chief: WSJ

Navy Vice Adm. Mike Gilday will be President Trump’s nominee to be the next chief of naval operations following the confirmed nominee’s sudden retirement after an ethics issue was raised, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Adm. William Moran was confirmed for the top spot by Senate in May, but Navy announced Monday he declined the appointment after a disclosure of a professional relationship called his judgement into question. 

The Journal reports Gilday and Navy officials met with Trump Wednesday. Officials told the Journal Trump intends to nominate Gilday for the spot. {mosads}

He had previously been appointed director of Joint Staff at the Pentagon and only held the job for a few months, according to the Journal. 

Gilday is a three-star admiral, and the paper reports his expected nomination means a number of four-star admirals were passed over. Officials told the Journal Gilday is a viable choice with a background in cybersecurity. 

The Hill reached out to the White House for comment.