Why Are Retired Generals Receiving Pentagon Waivers To “Consult” For Foreign Governments?
Congress Wants To Know
Is this corruption in plain sight?
Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Jason Crow (D-CO) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking for more info on former generals consulting on behalf of foreign governments.
Three House members on Tuesday sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to ask for additional details about how former generals receive waivers to consult on behalf of foreign governments.
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The lawmakers said they are concerned about a lack of transparency in the waiver approval process and reporting to Congress, the lack of standardized internal procedures at the Defense Department to implement the waiver approval process and the lack of enforcement when retired personnel violate the law through failing to report that they are advising for a foreign government.
They said they are also worried about potential conflicts of interest that were identified during the waiver approval process and the extent to which International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) concerns are discovered and resolved during the approval process.
Here is the full letter:
An investigation from the Washington Post found over 500 retired U.S. military personnel have taken lucrative jobs with foreign governments since 2015.
More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel — including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation.
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Most of the retired U.S. personnel have worked as civilian contractors for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Persian Gulf monarchies, playing a critical, though largely invisible, role in upgrading their militaries.
What’s going on here?
