If you're going to put a brain-wormed recovering heroin addict in at HHS, what's the problem with an allegedly recovering alcoholic in at Defense? Remember, according to Old Orange Julius these are among the very best people he's been able to attract to his fetid swamp of venality, stupidity, and duplicity.
Ethically challenged is a polite way of describing the grifting rube who came up with this bit of performative stupidity (en.wikipedia.org).