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Monday, May 8th, 2023

Over 500 Former Government Officials Are Now Lobbying for Defense Contractors

Author:     Taylor Giorno
Source:     truthout
Publication Date:     6 May 2023
 Link: Over 500 Former Government Officials Are Now Lobbying for Defense Contractors
Stephan:  

I have direct personal experience with this. When I was in government as Special Assistant for Research and Analysis to the Chief of Naval Operations, I was approached several times by Defense Contractors, and I watched this happen with several others. I was a GS-15, roughly equivalent to a colonel in the army or a captain in the Navy. I was 29 years old, making what I thought was a pretty good living, enough to buy a house in Chevy Chase, and the offer was for three times what I was making. As it was happening I understood what corruption looked like, and they were surprised when I turned it down all three times and left government. The defense industries are so grotesquely overfunded because of this corruption.

Coyote, StormBreaker Smart Weapon, Stinger and Javelin Missiles by Raytheon Missiles and Defense are displayed during the Farnborough International Airshow 2022 on July 18, 2022 in Farnborough, England.
Credit: John Keeble / Getty

The defense sector hired dozens of former armed services committee and Department of Defense personnel last year, with more swinging through the so-called “revolving door” to lobby on behalf of defense sector clients for the first time in the first quarter of 2023, a new OpenSecrets analysis of federal lobbying disclosures found.

At least 672 former government officials, military officers and members of Congress worked as lobbyists, board members or executives for the top 20 defense companies in 2022, according to a new report released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) last Wednesday. Warren’s staff utilized OpenSecrets’ revolving door database as well as corporate websites, lobbying disclosures and U.S. Senate confirmation lists to identify these individuals.

“This practice is widespread in the defense industry, giving, at minimum, the appearance of corruption and favoritism, and potentially increasing the chance that DoD spending results in ineffective weapons and programs, bad deals, and waste of […]

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2 Comments

  1. Rev. Dean on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 3:59 am

    If you read “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” , writen over a long period of time but released in 2000, you will find out why and how the military is going about strengthening their hold on America’s budget. (especially page 51 where they say at the top “the process of transformation even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a NEW PEARL HARBOR). Then 9/11 happened (what a coincidence or was it?)

  2. Albus Eddie on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 5:35 am

    We have the best government that money can buy.