The Pentagon received the document, which alleged Vindman created a hostile work environment at the NSC, as he was on track to be promoted to colonel. The accusations outlined in it, if substantiated, would have kept him from moving up a rank in the Army, the people familiar with the document said. They said it was not the typical evaluation that military officers serving on the NSC are given when their temporary positions end and they are set to return to the Defense Department, as Vindman was scheduled to do about six months after this document was sent to the Pentagon.

The NSC is housed in the White House and chaired by the president, though it’s managed day-to-day by the national security adviser.

The Pentagon conducted a command-level investigation into the allegations, looking for evidence to substantiate the claims about Vindman’s conduct while he was detailed to the NSC, the people familiar with the document said. But ultimately the military could not corroborate any of the accusations, the people familiar with it said. Included in the list was an accusation that Vindman had verbally abused a colleague, a senior administration official said.