A retired Air Force major general has been demoted after an inspector general investigation revealed he engaged in multiple inappropriate sexting relationships—including with an enlisted airman and congressional staffers—and had an affair with a married woman.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty, formerly the Air Force’s legislative liaison director, stepped down from his position in March 2023. His departure came just two months after an IG complaint accused him of maintaining “unprofessional and inappropriate relationships with multiple women.”
Finerty officially retired in November 2024 following an officer grade determination that downgraded his rank to brigadier general, according to the Air Force.
A September 2023 inspector general report found that Finerty had violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s prohibition on “conduct unbecoming an officer” by engaging in inappropriate relationships with five women. The findings, initially reported by Politico, were only recently made public.
The report detailed that Finerty engaged in fraternization with an enlisted airman, exchanging suggestive messages and participating in cybersex on at least seven occasions. Additionally, he carried on a three-month extramarital affair with a married Defense Department civilian employee—both actions strictly prohibited under the UCMJ.
The inspector general’s report delivered a scathing assessment of Finerty’s actions, stating, “The preponderance of the evidence supports Maj. Gen. Finerty’s conduct fell well below the expectations of an Air Force general officer, disgraced him professionally, and compromised his standing as both an officer and a gentleman.”
According to the report, Finerty had previously supervised the enlisted airman before their inappropriate exchanges began, but investigators found no evidence of misconduct at that time. Years later, they reconnected and developed a more personal relationship.
Their messages included explicit exchanges, with Finerty calling her “You sexy b[—-]” and sharing sexually suggestive memes. He also sent a shirtless photo of himself, while she responded with a collage of “sexually intimate” images.
When questioned, Finerty admitted his actions came “close to a line” but insisted he never crossed it, emphasizing that the relationship never became physical. He characterized the exchanges as “fantasy banter” rather than outright misconduct.
Finerty argued that his behavior did not constitute fraternization, claiming that because the messages were private, they did not undermine good order and discipline.
However, the inspector general strongly disagreed. The report cited the “extreme rank disparity” between Finerty and the enlisted airman, along with their “sexually charged” exchanges, as damaging to both the public’s perception of military leadership and the respect enlisted airmen hold for officers. The IG concluded that his actions “were of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.”
The report also condemned Finerty’s romantic affair with a married Department of Defense civilian, who was the spouse of another military officer. Finerty claimed he believed she was separated or divorced—partly because she did not wear a wedding ring.
But investigators found no credible reason for Finerty to assume she was single. The civilian employee explicitly told him she was married, and there was no indication her husband was absent. In one text exchange, Finerty even acknowledged, “You are married.” The woman later told the IG that while they were having an affair, discussions about her marriage were rare.
The report also revealed that Finerty engaged in sexting with three additional women—one of whom he had an intimate relationship with—all of whom worked in Congress and held positions influencing Air Force policy. Investigators found that this behavior “mixed his professional and personal roles” and created a perception of a conflict of interest. Witnesses described his actions as “highly inappropriate,” “counterproductive,” and “totally unprofessional.”
As the head of the Department of the Air Force’s legislative liaison office, Finerty was responsible for fostering relationships between congressional staffers, lawmakers, and the Air Force. The report emphasized that “behavior that breaches the level of trust and professionalism expected of legislative liaisons is a serious matter.”
The IG found that Finerty texted one woman on a “nearly daily basis,” exchanging sexts and pornographic images. In one striking example, a conversation about securing funding for key Air Force programs—such as the F-35 fighter and Next Generation Air Dominance—seamlessly transitioned into the woman sending him multiple pornographic photos.
Finerty’s inappropriate relationships were widely known within his office, with one witness calling them “the worst-kept secret in SAF/LL,” referring to the Air Force’s legislative liaison branch. According to the witness, staff members believed his conduct was unethical and likely contributed to a morale problem within the organization.
While no witnesses could confirm that Finerty gave or received preferential treatment due to these relationships, multiple individuals expressed concerns that even the perception of favoritism could be damaging to the department’s credibility and integrity.
