Joseph Schmidt, a US Navy chief special warfare officer with the elite SEAL team, has been placed under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) after he was outed as a porn star.
Schmidt, a 23-year veteran with the force, is under investigation by the NCIS for violating strict protocols which mandate that SEALs seek permission to engage in any form of work outside of the force, and possibly for violating rules which specifically prohibit forms of employment that could be interpreted as besmirching the reputation of the branch.
According to SEAL spokesman Captain Jason Salata, "We have initiated a formal investigation into these allegations. There are very clear regulations which govern outside employment by (Naval Special Warfare) personnel as well as prohibitions on behavior that is discrediting to the service," as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The SEAL, who is less than a year from retirement, could lose his lifetime benefits if found guilty in a military court.
Following a series of failed business ventures, Schmidt and his wife — the former Julie Wadley, a noted adult film celebrity who goes by the name Jewels Jade — sought to make good on debts that they were unable to cover on his $60,000 annual salary and Jade's take-home pay.
Jade noted that her husband's activities were well-known to the SEALs, and suggested that his work outside of the force was condoned by his peers and his commanders as well, as long as he did not seek to openly capitalize on his adult film work by revealing that he was a SEAL.
"He was always pretty open about it with the command," Jade said, observing the well-documented misogyny and sexism within the force, according to the Union-Tribune. "I mean, honestly, all of his buddies knew about it. Everybody knew about it."
"It's very ironic," she added. "Very hypocritical."
Schmidt, who goes by the name Jay Voom in adult film circles, has been documented as acting as a representative for the SEALs, recruiting for the Naval Special Warfare group, and showing up prominently on the SEAL website. Among his other extracurricular activities, the highly decorated officer counsels special-needs children in Los Angeles and is, by all accounts, a devoted father and husband.
NCIS has yet to announce a timetable for Schmidt's investigation and possible trial.
